


2018-Jaytim tumblr week prompt fills- Love Across Universes

by CatChan



Category: Batman - All Media Types
Genre: Alternate Universe - Bodyguard, Alternate Universe - Fae, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Alternate Universe - Space, Alternate Universe - Vampire, Arranged Marriage, Fae & Fairies, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fantasy, M/M, Secret Relationship, Sharing a Bed, Soulmates, Strippers & Strip Clubs, Supernatural AU - Freeform, Vampire Sex, Vampires, huricane
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-03-18
Updated: 2018-11-02
Packaged: 2019-04-04 07:55:21
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 9
Words: 26,501
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14015745
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/CatChan/pseuds/CatChan
Summary: Day 1: Secret Dating//Bodyguard AU:Cue, the taking a common day off. It hadn't been that easy to not be suspicious, and Tim personally thought that Martha most definitely was onto their illicit fraternizing affair.But whatever, she liked them and the fact that they were mildly successful in keeping Bruce from being as good at self-preservation as a retarded mayfly. Also, she seemed to think their hardships were cute and romantic, and Tim was totally sure that she'd winked at him when he told her about his day off. It wasn't that important, Barbara was their boss that wasn't supposed to know that they were in a secret relationship.





	1. Day 1: Secret Dating//Bodyguard AU

Tim stretched out on his bed and smiled at Jason, making an, admittedly cheesy come hither gesture, but in their defense, it was going to be the first time they actually slept together. They had tried and failed for months to get some one on one time on the manor's unused corridors or supply closets, and stuff ALWAYS managed to happen before they could get off.

Cue, the taking a common day off. It hadn't been that easy to not be suspicious, and Tim personally thought that Martha most definitely was onto their illicit fraternizing affair.

But whatever, she liked them and the fact that they were mildly successful in keeping Bruce from being as good at self-preservation as a retarded mayfly. Also, she seemed to think their hardships were cute and romantic, and Tim was totally sure that she'd winked at him when he told her about his day off. It wasn't that important, Barbara was their boss that wasn't supposed to know that they were in a secret relationship.

 

And at the moment Tim would gladly tell her all about his thing with Jason if that would get him to join him in bed naked.

Which thankfully, he didn't need to do because Jason was there, and on board with the program and it was their day off.

Jason tried to look smooth and experienced, which didn't work out so well for him, but Tim had very little room to talk because he wasn't that much better. And really, he had fallen in love with the more stilted and awkward side of his partner that sometimes showed up behind his carefully crafted badass facade.

 

Tim had eschewed the badass facade altogether. When he got in the Wayne's service, Dick, their team leader, had taken him aside and explained exactly why he'd been chosen to be Bruce's bodyguard, and it mainly involved using Bruce's parental instincts to make him be less of a reckless idiot. Tim had taken it to heart.

He was, of course able to do a full take-down without breaking a sweat, he worked out and spared just as much as anyone else on the team, but on the clock? Utter and complete disaster. He spilled stuff, stumbled, ran in walls... everything and anything necessary to make Bruce think of him as a hopeless and fragile wreck of a boy (his... compact... size also helped on that front). Bruce was always trying his best to protect Tim from the fact that he was visibly not meant to be a bodyguard, which improved his own chances of survival greatly.

Tim smiled as he remembered his first meeting with Jason. He had been very new, and he had just started his 'two left feet' impersonation, so he was laying it on a bit thick. Jason had taken one look at him faceplanting by knotting his feet together on his way to formally greet his new client, and he'd honest to god sneered. Their interactions for the first week had been full of Jason totally disapproving of Tim, and Tim purposefully not telling him that it was an act because he didn't have to justify himself to the asshole in chief.

In the end Dick had gotten Barbara to call the both of them back to their company's headquarters, and he'd ordered them to go for a spar.

Tim has neatly wiped the floor with his new partner. A feat that he hadn't reproduced as easily since then because Jason didn't underestimate him anymore, and that had been a key point of his victory.

But the memory was still near and dear to his heart. Shortly followed by witnessing Barbara's dressing Jason down and yelling at him to stop undermining Tim's best effort at forcing Bruce to not always run headlong in danger.

 

"What are you smiling about?" Jason called, a pout on his beautiful lips. "I'm not trying to be funny, you know, could you act accordingly?"

Tim laughed. "But that's when you get the more amusing!" he reached for his lover and pulled him in. "I was thinking of our first spar."

Jason groaned. "You're never going to let it go are you?"

"No. Let it serve you as a lesson on judging books by their covers, grasshopper." Tim smiled to soften the blow and leaned in to kiss Jason's skin. It was their first time being mostly naked together, and there were wealth of so far unexplored skin to get his hands and lips on. And Tim was so not squandering that opportunity.

Jason got over his wounded ego pretty quick and into the making out, and they were just starting to try and wordlessly work out who wanted to top or bottom (because, yes, they were still awkward like that, and it was their first time, okay! they had a good excuse) when both of their phones went off in their emergency tones.

They froze and gave each other an half frustrated, half panicked glance before diving simultaneously for their earpieces.

Jason snatched a sheet on his way, almost toppling Tim over with his yanking, and ran out of the room so they could avoid having an echo. But since ha was a good lover and partner, he also tossed Tim's notebook at him and turned the overhead light on as he left the room.

 

_"Hey boys."_ Barbara's voice chimed in his ear. _"Sorry to interrupt your day off, but Batman has been sighted near the southern bank fighting the Joker and over fifty henchmen, and I'm going to need all hands on deck ASAP!"_

Tim groaned, already mourning both his day off and his chance at having sex with Jason. "Okay. ETA fifteen." Jason echoed a _'same'_ over the line, and the hung up.

He walked to his dresser and got out his second and much more secret bodyguard uniform. He also set Jason's out, feeling grateful that he'd insisted there needed to be a backup at his place, and he started pouring himself in the black Kevlar.

 

This was the exact reason why being a Wayne bodyguard was so obscenely well paid, but required extreme proofs of loyalty to the Oracle guarding company, and of total discretion.

Years ago, Thomas and Martha Wayne had discovered that their son was moonlighting as a vigilante under the moniker of Batman. From what Tim had understood, they had first tried to cut all of his financial resources, but it had been an horrific failure, resulting in Bruce still going out but being woefully under-equipped while doing so.

In the end, they had looked for a trustworthy bodyguard organization to sick on their son, and Barbara and Dick's start-up had panned out as the better and trustworthiest. The financial mane of being extremely well paid for Dick's protection detail job by the Waynes had let Barbara set up her network. The Oracle company now had a lot of clients, and a lot of agents, and she took Bruce's escort from the best of those. But when Batman was out and being an idiot? The whole team was called.

 

Tim tightened the last strap across his chest and clipped his holsters in place, watching from the corner of his eye as Jason did the exact same.

Bruce, Batman, hated guns. Not that it stopped them. They weren't being paid by him. They were his bodyguards, not his minions, and their first goal was his protection, and hopefully to get him to stop his vigilantism. They never listened to him, and they generally did their best to hinder him most of the time. It made him extra grumpy and assholish, but they didn't give a shit.

Last on was the mask. There was no cutesy little domino for the Oracle bodyguards like some heroes had. They wore a modified motorcycle helmet, it made them pretty indistinguishable from one-another, and that was Barbara's loyalty to them shining through. She didn't want them to get swallowed up in a vigilante lifestyle, and that's why she'd made the 'batflock' all be so similar.

It reduced the villain's ability to go after them, to be able to recognize them or to go after them while out of the uniform. It also made the possibility of retiring from the high stake mission much easier, since they didn't have to feel like they were irreplaceable. Sure, they kind of were, but only in a good way. No one should be able to really notice if one of them got swapped out with someone else, so they COULD retire.

 

Tim and Jason took the hidden passageway from Tim's apartment to the closest Oracle garage and each climbed on a motorcycle, revving up and roaring down the secret tunnel and toward the battlefield that was Gotham's streets.

The battle was intense, and Tim almost dove in front of a bullet for Bruce, only getting saved by Dick managing to shoot the potential danger just before acting as a meat shield became necessary. Tim had absolutely no illusion that Bruce could have missed his intent, but they had more to do, and it got forgotten in the heat of things.

Tim was used as a springboard by Cass on her way to tackle Bruce down before he could be clubbed over the head, then he had to duck to let Steph shoot one of the Joker's henchman trying to sneak on him. Jason mowed down ten of the Joker's people, and they wrapped the fight up by, as their standard procedure dictated, piling up on Bruce, tying him up and tossing him in the Batmobile so he couldn't try to stay or run away.

SOP also dictated to head back to the Batcave along with Bruce so they could pile up on him again and hold him still while Alfred and Thomas treated whatever injury he managed to get in the battle, and also so they could get a look-over by Thomas, who was a doctor and a good person who really worried for them unless he could confirm that he didn't endanger them too much by hiring them to protect his son.

Things ran mostly smoothly, Bruce tried to yell at Tim for almost taking a bullet for him, Dick yelled back that Tim wouldn't need to be endangered if Bruce didn't go out at night to fight criminals with his bare hands and bits of metal. Somehow, Tim didn't know how, Bruce had still not clued in on the fact that Tim's klutz routine was just an act, and so he was the one who triggered his protectiveness the most. Probably, Bruce thought that he was kind of hopeless, but that adrenaline got him to be much better than usual. Not that it really mattered, it worked and it was the point.

Tim and Jason let Thomas see that they weren't dangerously injured, politely ate the cookies that Martha and Alfred baked for them as thanks for always keeping their idiot out of harm's way and headed toward their rides.

Dick smiled at them but stopped them before they made it out of the cave. "Hey, sorry for your day off. I'll be sure to guilt trip Bruce for bothering you by choosing today specifically to sneak out." Tim smiled. Dick had been with Bruce for the longest, and he tended to be ruthless toward him. "Oh, also. Babs says that she's really trying to turn a blind eye on the two of you, but it would help her if you didn't mess up and answer each-others' phones specifically on your common day off. That's really a lot to ask out of her selective blindness."

Jason swore and Tim cringed. So apparently, they were even worse than he'd first thought at this secret relationship thing.


	2. Secret Dating//Bodyguard AU 2: sequel/prequel

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> 5 people who busted Tim and Jason on their "secret" relationship, +1 who had to be told

1: Barbara

 

As far as surprises went, Tim and Jason's "secret liaison" was just after Dick fidgeting on the list of things that came as exactly no surprise at all for Barbara.

 

Well. She guessed she could appreciate them trying. But frankly, she couldn't even tell herself they were doing their best. She knew that none of her agents could possibly be that sloppy when trying their best.

 

Of course, the fact that she had seen a chemistry between them right from their first spar was not their fault.

 

The trying to make-out barely out of the surveillance cameras' sight, though? Downright shameful.

 

So okay, maybe the "no fraternisation" rule wasn't that necessary. She had written it down back when Dick was in his early twenties and prone to flirt with absolutely anyone, so she had good reason to scold him when he got too charming at her other employees.

 

And well, he had calmed down a lot since then.

 

But still. She made a face at the suspiciously moving leg on the corner of her screen. These boys were not even trying!

 

Yes, it wasn't the kind of offense that made her have to reconsider their loyalty to the firm. But they were supposed to be able to keep a secret. That was one of the primary things she looked in for Bruce "I am The Night" Wayne's bodyguards. And this, right there? Not filling her with confidence.

 

Babs folded her hands under her chin. She was still pretty sure they weren't being that obvious because they underestimated her, but more because they believed she wouldn't care to find out about their affair.

 

Which, no, she didn't particularly care. It was cute. BUT. SERIOUSLY?

 

How was the drills chart going anyway?

 

Sniper attack drill could definitely stand to be rehearsed.

 

Barbara was more than aware that it was a bit cruel to do this. Even as she pressed the "start alarm" button.

 

These two had to learn not to do these kind of things on the clock.

 

They were lucky they were part of the best at making Bruce reconsider his most stupid actions, because otherwise she would have printed stills of their dismal failure at looking inconspicuous as they crossed right in front of the camera, and beat them over the head with it.

 

Depending on how well they did on the drill, she might yell at them for it instead.

 

* * *

 

 

2: Martha

 

Martha was thinking of what to tell her stubborn and idiotic son when he noticed that his dear "Batcar" had sprouted a flat tire right as he wanted to go gallivanting in the dark and dangerous Gotham night.

 

She turned into her music room, deep in thought still, but stopped at the sight of two of the dear ~~babysitters~~ bodyguard propped on her grand-piano and...

 

Hmm better to step back out of the room, right?

 

She was walking toward the kitchen to see if she could get Alfred to feed her some of his delicious cookies, since she was obviously going to have to postpone her piano practice, when she heard distinctive stomping sounds behind her back.

 

Oh. Bruce had discovered the sabotage earlier than she thought he would. And he seemed to be heading straight for the music room. Which was legitimate, since it was where she was supposed to be.

 

Except it wasn't where she was, and the boys didn't deserve having Brucie barge in on them for her little interference. And Bruce was apparently too distracted by his fury to notice her standing right ahead of him. And he wondered why they were wary of letting him go out and fight criminals at night...

 

Still, she had to distract him.

 

She was about to call her son in her most innocent voice, when her eyes caught on the horrible vase that had been offered by one of her less pleasant relatives for her wedding.

 

She never liked it, and she guessed it had been long enough now to justify it's tragic loss.

 

It was a sign.

 

She turned back toward the kitchen and delicately pushed the monstrosity off it's pedestal.

 

The very satisfying crash heralded a few seconds of total silence. Then Bruce called her mom, sounding worried, and hurried to her side to make sure she was alright.

 

He was so sweet, anger all but forgotten (for now).

 

She let him fuss and lift her in his arms to carry her over the shards, as if she didn't have her own perfectly good shoes. But she guessed it was alright. After all, it meant he had his back turned when Tim and Jason rushed out of the music room looking like they had tried and horribly failed to put themselves together again.

 

She smirked at them over her son's shoulder.

 

Her life was at least very interesting.

 

* * *

 

 

3: Dick

 

Dick closed the bodyguard uniform storage room's door as quickly and silently as he could. His uniform was not that dirty. The coffee stain wasn't that noticeable anyway on the black fabric.

 

He was still trying to blot as much of the liquid out of his uniform with paper towels when the distinctive roar of the Batmobile echoed through the house. Shortly followed by the carillon tone of the eastern tunnel being used.

 

Dick was sure Bruce didn't have the faintest clue how little insulation there was between his beloved cave and the manor above. It performed much better for higher pitched sounds, but the tank that Bruce liked to refer to has his car made exactly the kind of deep roar that carried through the whole manor each time he reved it up. Which Bruce did. A lot. No one had bothered to let him know. They had no doubt that he would fix it as soon as he knew, but they all liked the advance warning. In comparison, Bruce found and disabled the tunnel's captors regularly, forcing Barbara to upgrade and move them every other month.

 

Dick didn't think, didn't wait for Barbara to call him. He rushed back for the uniform storage room from cheer habit.

 

The thought of the room's occupants came back to him exactly as he banged the door open, but they thankfully had also heard Bruce making a break for it and weren't in a compromising position anymore. (Dick took great care not to look anywhere below the waist.) Refusing to take the risk to see anything he would rather not see, he dove for the trap Tim had already opened and fell down to the secret bodyguard room, that Babs had put right under the regular one.

 

He was already out of his regular uniform and halfway into the 'Batflock' one before Jason's boots thumped to the ground behind him. Dick glanced to him quickly, finished pulling the most important parts of his uniform on and grabbed the rest. "I'm going first to keep an eye on him, catch up to me soon." He threw over his shoulder, already running toward the motorcycles while simultaneously clasping his straps and adjusting his holsters.

 

He pulled his helmet on just as he jumped on, and hightailed it out of there, glad he hadn't managed to see anything he couldn't unsee.

 

* * *

 

 

4: Alfred

 

Madam Martha and Sir Thomas, as well as Master Bruce liked to claim that Alfred knew everything. It was preposterous, only the Lord knew everything. Alfred was simply observant, and had a much better hearing than most people would suspect from someone his age.

 

Which was why he paused before entering the pantry. Inside he heard two persons breathing heavily. A quick countdown of who was in the manor that he didn't know the position of for sure told him that it was probably young masters Timothy and Jason. (Law might say otherwise, but to Alfred they were a part of the household, therefore, 'young master' and not misters.)

 

Budding romances were all well and good, but the pantry was where the food was, and Alfred felt a bit peeved that they decided it was the best place for canoodling. They both seemed like much more sensible and thoughtful young men than this. Then again, the young and impetuous episode of his own life was well over, but it wasn't as hard as he wished to remember his own youthful indiscretions and mistake whenever a lady had been concerned.

 

Still, being the whitening old man he was starting to look like, it was his privilege to embarrass ardent youngsters when he found them doing things they should know better than to try.

 

Alfred cleared his throat loudly and knocked on the pantry door. "I will come in to get the potatoes in ten seconds, I hope everyone is clothed adequately by then."

 

Alfred smiled at the gasps he heard through the door, that confirmed the identity of the canoodlers, then made his face blank out again. "I would also like to point out that the pantry is in no way the best place to duck out to for privacy, I am sure two young men as resourceful as yourselves could find a place that isn't used to store food."

 

Young master Timothy opened the door, face crimson with embarrassment. Young master Jason, behind him, wasn't much better. They both mumbled their sorry, and Alfred decided not to torment them more. He was sure the lesson had been memorable enough.

 

Alfred stepped to the side to let them through. "Dinner will be served in one hour."

 

The boys hurried out after nodding at him.

 

Alfred smiled fondly after them and walked in the pantry for his potatoes.

 

* * *

 

 

5: Tam

 

Tamara Fox hated her dad sometimes. Well probably as much as any teenaged girl hated their well meaning but annoying dad.

 

But damn it, she had actual degrees, she could do stuff, but here she was, hired in Wayne Inc by what everyone (even herself, sometimes) could legitimately call nepotism, and doing house-runs to the Wayne manor to make Thomas Wayne sign important stuff because for some reason, that wasn't the kind of errand that justified having someone qualified do it. Or maybe being a Fox was enough to qualify her as trustworthy when there were lots of people who had actually busted their asses at their job who were probably more justifiably apt to be called so.

 

She took a deep breath. Or maybe it was because she already knew Wayne manor from the galas and fundraisers her dad had taken her to. GPS was a bit finicky about finding the right address in these kind of super wealthy places.

 

She parked the company's car, took hold of the document satchel and went to knock on the massive oak doors of the manor.

 

The Wayne family butler opened the door for her almost immediately. The knock was after all a formality, she had had to decline her identity and reason to visit at the gate. "Good afternoon, Miss Fox. You seem to have grown again since last time I saw you."

 

Tamara smiled. She was not sure that was right. Last time she had seen the butler, she was still wearing her hair natural, it gave her a couple more inches at the top. "Good afternoon, Alfred. I have higher shoes than six months ago, it must be why. I have really stopped growing otherwise."

 

Alfred smiled back. "Or maybe I have started getting shorter. You will find Sir Thomas in his study, do you remember the way? I would normally escort you, but I have decided to try my hand at Flammekueche, and I need to keep an eye on the oven."

 

She assured him that she remembered, and chose the right wing to walk in. Alfred didn't call her back, so her memories must have been correct.

 

Her memory wasn't good enough. Who even lived in houses big enough to get lost in? She was about to yell for help, professionalism be damned, when she heard a voice.

 

Relieved, she headed toward the noise. Only to round a corner and stop dead.

 

Oh, wow. Damn.

 

That... That was hot.

 

A few paces in front of her, two handsome men were kissing and groping each other, propped against the hallway wall. they were wearing matching dark uniforms, and one of them was much bulkier than the other. There also was tongue, she could see it.

 

She couldn't keep the squeak from getting out, and all of a sudden they were both looking at her.

 

They looked about as annoyed as debauched. Which was a lot, there were untucked shirts, undone ties and red lips and also a bite-mark lower than where the tallest's collar would reach if it was done up properly.

 

She swallowed.

 

The big one opened his mouth with a frown, but the shorter and lankier man (that was only short and lanky when seen next to the other man, she was sure he was taller than her, even with her heels, and his undone uniform showcased an appreciable quantity of chest muscle,) talked first. "Tamara Fox. What brings you here."

 

She wasn't sure if 'here' meant in Wayne manor, or in a secluded, unused corridor. When in doubt... She lifted her satchel in front of her. "I have mail for Mr Wayne... I got a little lost on the way to his study."

 

The taller one closed his eyes. "You got a lot lost, more like."

 

She cringed, but the shorter man shook his head and disengaged, starting to button his shirt back. "You need to backtrack, take the first corridor to the left, then the second to the right, then walk past twelve doors. When you see the giant staircase, take the corridor immediately to the left, and it's the fifth door on your right."

 

Tam blinked. "Huh, can you say that again?"

 

The men sighed, and started putting their clothes in order. Tam didn't voice the strange disappointment at that. She wasn't that shameless.

 

"I'll lead you there. I'm Tim, and this is Jason. We're part of the Wayne family bodyguard team. If you could keep this between us...?"

 

Tam cleared her throat, noticing that Tim wasn't extending his hand, and not wondering why. "Pleasure to meet you Tim, Jason. And I didn't see anything. I didn't even get lost! Found Mr Wayne's study right away. There is no reason I would have been in an unused corridor, right?"

 

Tim smirked and Jason laughed, and they led her back through the maze of a mansion.

 

* * *

 

+1: Bruce.

 

Bruce was reviewing his Casefiles on the Batcomputer. One of the only Batman activities that his household didn't actively disrupt as soon as he started it. Sure, Alfred had unplugged the computer a couple of time when he thought Bruce needed sleep more than the case needed to be solved, and Barbara tended to send in his finds as tips to the GCPD as a preemptive way to keep him inside, but overall, they were much less annoying about his cybernetic legwork than any other aspect of his Mission.

 

The elevator's door whooshed open, and Bruce glanced up at the strategically placed black spot on his screen to check who had come down in the reflection. Barbara.

 

She rarely came over in person anymore. It was much easier for her to communicate by technology than make the trip, especially since she had been shot in the spine while shielding Bruce.

 

The guilt was old and familiar, and Barbara didn't want to hear his apologies. No matter what his family and bodyguards would say, it had been a big lesson for him. And he had gotten a lot more cautious about his flock of young people as a result. He still saw Barbara's hospital bed behind his eyes each time one of his "bodyguards" stepped in the path of a bullet.

 

But as Barbara had said, they had hazard pay exactly for this reason. The innocent citizens of Gotham didn't and Bruce owed it to them to keep trying his best. No matter how terrified he was of losing another one of his kids.

 

He chased the maudlin thoughts out of his head. Barbara could tell when he was feeling sorry for her. And it made her absolutely furious. He also needed to get his head in the game, because whatever she had come over for was bound to be important.

 

(Last time... Had been when she had willingly sent him and the whole team out to assist the Justice League in subjugating an invasion of hostile aliens, and she had taken over the Batcomputer to be ground control.)

 

Bruce turned his chair to face her just as she wheeled up the ramp to his computer. She gave one last impulsion to get to the flat floor and extended a file at him.

 

He took it with some trepidations. What... She didn't have the whole team with her, so he doubted it was another 'I'll make an exception just this once' situation but still.

 

He opened the file to find... A notice of policy change for the Oracle company. He frowned. Why was she coming in person just to let him know that they had repelled the no fraternization rule? He turned the page to find Tim's latest vacation notice. Then Jason's. Then another one of Tim and another one from Jason. Wait. He went back, ad checked the dates again. Tim and Jason had taken the same days, one in the past week, then two, today and tomorrow. Added to the no fraternization repel.

 

"No." Bruce said. "Tim is too young to..."

 

"Bruce." Barbara interrupted him. "Tim is twenty-four, and Jason is twenty-seven, they are plenty old enough to consent to whatever they want. And with the job they have, it's better that they take the opportunity to have fun when they can. We never know what tomorrow will be made of. Especially in this business. I came to tell you that you are absolutely not getting out as Batman while they are on leave, like you did the last time, or I'll give Cass and Dick authorization to sedate you on sight. Am I being clear?"

 

Bruce nodded numbly, still processing the revelation.

 

"Good" Barbara slid one wheel back and the other forth, executing a perfect turn. Bruce watched her go.

 

Long enough that he caught Dick leaping over the railing of the stairs to get in the elevator with her before the doors could close. "Hey." The acrobat said. "I hear the no fraternization rule is repelled, are you free for lunch..." the elevator door closed, cutting Dick's flirt short.

 

Bruce smiled. Obviously, Barbara hadn't thought about all the consequences of her actions.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I put it on chapter two on purpose, even thought it's the eighth I'm writing it's so the whole thing can be read in continuity when I'm done.


	3. Day 2: Supernatural AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim grunted and stretched out. He'd been working on this essay for hours, and he hated it already.
> 
> He was on his way to make himself some hot chocolate (with, maybe some coffee mixed in) when his doors opened. Right as the door bounced against the inside wall of the apartment, the form of a man flattened itself on what looked like some nonexistent glass door.
> 
> Tim frowned. Damn, he had forgotten to lock his door again, hadn't he?
> 
> The man, or rather young man unstuck himself from the door and took a step back, he frowned, pressed one hand to what seemed to amount for a solid wall to him, then looked down at Tim's doormat. "Hum. The mat said welcome?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was sick today, so the chapter is a bit late, but it IS done!  
> NSFW  
> Enjoy!

Tim grunted and stretched out. He'd been working on this essay for hours, and he hated it already.

He was on his way to make himself some hot chocolate (with, maybe some coffee mixed in) when his entryway door opened. Right as the door bounced against the inside wall of the apartment, the form of a man flattened itself on what looked like some nonexistent glass door.

Tim frowned. Damn, he had forgotten to lock his door again, hadn't he?

The man, or rather young man unstuck himself from the door and took a step back, he frowned, pressed one hand to what seemed to amount for a solid wall to him, then looked down at Tim's doormat. "Hum. The mat said welcome?"

Indeed, the mat did say welcome. It was a "gift" from Stephanie, and Tim had never removed it after she put it there. And now that it had been pointed out, Tim had a pretty good idea of who, or rather what, that man was.

What Tim had a pretty good idea was a vampire frowned. "You're a werewolf."

Tim laughed at the accusation. "Not quite." But he was not human either, and that's why he didn't hesitate to grab the vampire's shirt and pull him forward until he got stuck to the limit of Tim's property again. It might seem stupid, but since Tim's hand was now inside again, there was nothing the vampire could do to retaliate but pull back with enough force to either make Tim let go or rip his shirt off.

The vampire braced himself at best he could and tried to pull back, inevitably noticing Tim's higher than human strength. Tim could understand that first assumption. Vampires and werewolves were the most common supernatural species, and werewolves did love to screw with vampires specifically by using the fake welcome thing. (As in, a welcome mat did let vampires come in as they pleased, but only if it was put down by someone from the house.)

If Tim was anything, common wasn't it. Sure his species wasn't really rare either, but even amongst them, he was a pretty special little flower. And he certainly didn't smell like a werewolf (or a human, by some weirdness, werewolves smelled strongly of human).

The vampire sniffed and noticed Tim's difference, recoiling at best as he could while still held flush to the doorway by Tim, eyes wide and terrified. "What are you?"

Tim smiled, showing his elongated canines (though not as elongated as a vamp or wolf). "You are in no position to be asking questions. What is your name, vampire?"

Tim could see the vampire almost whimpering in fear. Not that Tim was that much more powerful than him, but the vampire had no way to know that, as far as he was concerned, Tim was something that shouldn't be there, was obviously as strong physically as him, and on which he had no information. Add to that the fact that vampires using the welcome mat thing was normally they kept for emergencoies, and Tim was pretty sure this vampire was already weakened by hunger.

The vampire growled a bit, but relented. "Jason." No last name, huh. Still smart enough to keep a bit of protection.

Tim smiled again, letting his horns appear as something of a recompense. "So Jason. I am pretty sure you were going to try and bite me without permission, and that's bad." Jason cringed. "I demand reparation."

Jason the vampire gritted his teeth. "You want to kill me? Just do it and stop dragging things out."

Tim laughed again, and yes, he was dragging things out, but he liked playing with his food, like most of his kind. "No, Jason. I am not that kind of demon."

The word demon froze Jason from how his was somewhat discreetly rocking back to try and rip his shirt off at the seams. "And... What kind of demon would you be then?"

Tim smiled again, letting his inherent powers out to enhance everything about him. "I would be an incubus. I would gain nothing from your death."

The vampire frowned. "So what? You're asking me to fuck you as a retribution for trying to bite you?"

Jason at least knew what an incubus was, good. "I am getting tired of only getting second hands sexual energy." Tim shrugged. He wasn't that tired of it, and it had been his main reason to come on a campus, to passively be able to get his meals from all the sex that was happening amongst students. But there was something else. "And I have heard the most fascinating things about the effects of vampire bites on my kind."

It was supposed to act as a very strong aphrodisiac. His mother had told him that it grounded succubus into the act, into their body at the moment, and that it intensified the link, and therefore the feeding that they could perform. She had talked about it like an incredible delicacy, and Tim's father had been nodding along at the time. He had never tried it, and never thought of seeking it out, but now that he had a vampire right on hand, he wanted it. He wanted it enough that he could feel his power seeping out, operating it's magic and already working at making him look beautiful and desirable.

Jason was starting to look and smell aroused, which was a normal side effect of Tim letting go of the leash on his powers. "So as a repayment for wanting to bite you, you want me to screw you AND bite you."

Tim smiled at this vampire's ire. "It only works if the bite is while the sex is happening, but yes. You could also see it as me making a deal to let you in and let you bite me in exchange for sex? I heard demon blood was abnormally filling to vampires."

Jason narrowed his eyes, but also gave Tim a once over. "I guess I can live with this. Let me go, and I'll accept your deal."

Tim had no idea if Jason knew exactly what he had just done, but it wasn't his problem anymore. "As per our arrangement." He whispered, giving the verbal promises to his magic to let it cement the deal. Tim opened his hand and let Jason free. He frowned as he felt the exact contents of his contract, and rumbled on, berating himself for making the rookie mistake of not defining his deal more. It had been a while since he drew any contract up. "I will let you in on the condition that you honor your promise to only bite me once we are engaged in sexual acts. Passing the threshold will seal your agreement to these terms."

Jason frowned at Tim's wordiness, but he did step into the apartment. Tim caught the parchment as it materialized from thin air, and gave in to his curiosity, skimming to the bottom and reading the signature. "Well, Jason Peter Todd, it is a pleasure to make business with you. And you gave me a real name too, I am flattered."

Jason's eyes grew wide as he saw the formal contract. He closed the door behind himself and swiped for the parchment. Tim could have kept it out of reach, but he was abnormally honest for a demon, and he thought Jason could know the exact content of his binding promise.

Tim skirted around Jason to lock the door, then he draped himself over his next meal's back. He was already so full of lust, and it had been so long... Jason was a bit rigid, but he relaxed as he read. "You really only made a contract about me having sex with you. There isn't even anything skivvy in there. Hell, it only says that I'm allowed to bite you only while we're fucking, it doesn't even force me to do fuck you or bite you at all, I could walk out right now. Why did you even go to the trouble of doing it, Timothy Jackson Drake?"

Oh, right, his name went to the signature area too. Not that he minded, he preferred his prey to know his name, that way he could scream it later and make all of Tim's neighbors jealous of him. "I find consent hot." Tim growled. "You could not sleep with me, and you could not bite me, I expect you to do both out of your own volition, but I am not forcing you to. But I won't let you bite me without giving me what I want in exchange."

Tim skimmed one of his hands down toward Jason's crotch, slipping the other one under his shirt, and he lightly nibbled on the vampire's neck with his demonic teeth. Jason shivered. Did vampires have a biting kink? That would be an interesting question to research. With a last lick and caress, Tim let go of Jason. He unstuck himself and let his fire come forth, burning his clothes off and returning him to his original form. Good thing he wasn't wearing any of his favorites tonight.

With his original form came the last of his powers, things he normally didn't mind not having access to but that came in handy when you were a sex demon doing sex demon things. He could feel his body warming up, all the right muscles relaxing and lubrication seeping where it could be needed. Tim lashed his tail, then touched it to the door, visualizing the area he wanted shielded and let the charm waft out. No one would be able to come in, by any means. No one would be able to retain the intent of coming in there unless Tim wanted them to. A particularly handy trick when you were sleeping with a married person.

Jason shook himself, still frowning. "What did you do?"

"I insured our privacy." At the curious look he got, Tim elaborated. "Anyone who might want to come in the area I defined will forget all about this intent for as long as I want the sanctuary to hold."

There was something that relaxed in the vampire at Tim's words, that correlated with the fact that Jason had been using a least effort hunting tactic. "You were pursued by vampire hunters?"

Jason grimaced, which was enough of an answer. Vampire hunters could be a pain sometimes, they tended to amass protection against the supernatural which might make them impervious to a generic incubus charm, and Tim did not want his fun to be interrupted, especially not by hunters. Good thing he had a whole bag of tricks in his possession again. He went back to Jason and kissed him full on the lips. Staking a claim was a fairly easy thing to do, and Tim felt his magic slice through and disintegrate a good dozen of hostile links before it butted on something more consistent.

Jason shoved him off angrily right as the link reacted to Tim. "What are you doing to my Sire?" Jason snarled almost on stereo with the deep mental voice demanding he let someone's child alone.

Right. Sire-children links were a thing for vampires. It was normally much stronger than Tim's casual ability to stake claims or break off relationships, but they had to feel his attack on their bond.

Tim winced. If Jason liked his Sire, he might very well have blown his chances of a night of fun. With new determination, Tim tugged at the thin stream of connection that he'd accidentally made, and gave it some body, making an illusion of a furious elder vampire appear out of thin air. He cleared his throat. "My apologies. I was just trying to destroy hostile links and not be interrupted. I didn't factor in that Jason could be someone's child."

Jason jolted, staring at the illusion. "Bruce? What."

The elder vampire blinked and took a circular look, eyes stopping over Jason, then coming back to Tim. _"What are your intentions with my son, demon?"_

Tim tried to smile charmingly and suggestively. What he wanted with Jason should be pretty plain to see, as he'd destroyed his clothes and an incubus winding up for sex had painfully obvious physical reactions. "Only very good ones."

Jason groaned, and Bruce the elder vampire raised an eyebrow. The illusion of Bruce grunted. _"Great. A sex demon. Do you promise not to harm my son?"_

That apparently was the last straw for Jason. "Bruce, I'm a grown ass vampire, I can chose who I want to have sex with without your assistance!"

Family drama, just what Tim needed. Also, demands of potentially backfiring promises. "I can't make that promise. Incubus promising not to harm someone tends to end up with us married, unhappy, and dying of hunger." Bruce and Jason stared at him, processing his words.

It wasn't even a lie, even when being the most caring they could possibly be, just sleeping with someone did tend to create a slew of after effects on their partners, jealousy and possessiveness included, which could be taken as harm. Never making a binding promise to not harm someone was one of the first thing any Inccubi or Succubi was taught.

 _"Right."_ Bruce said. _"Do you promise not to intentionally harm my son?"_

Jason growled some more, still unhappy at having his Sire butt in his sex life.

Tim sighed. "Not better, sorry." A thought struck and he called the contract back, showing it to the illusion of Jason's Sire. "But my intents are... Well, not very pure, but not harmful."

Bruce skimmed the contract and sighed. _"So it's THAT. I guess as long as Jay is okay with it, it really isn't my place to interfere. But mark my words, demon, if you harm my son in any way that doesn't come down to bruised feelings or rough play, I will hunt you, and I will kill you."_

Tim had no illusion that the threat was anything but totally serious, or that Bruce, sire of Jason, would be able to pull it off. He was a young Incubus, one of the weakest demons, an elder vampire, especially a pissed on was more than a match to him. Tim nodded solemnly and made both the contract and illusion disappear, cutting Jason in the middle of his outraged exclamation.

Tim took a deep breath. "I am sorry. I genuinely didn't think about the fact that you might have a Sire, I was just trying to dissolve your relationship with those hunters so they would forget about you and wouldn't be able to come after you while we're busy. But the moment I touched your Sire-child link, I had to let him know, or he would probably have flown here in full furry."

Jason huffed. "I really could have done without my dad knowing, but I guess he would have ended up picking it up anyway."

Tim didn't know that much about vampire links, he thought it had some empathy in it, though, so Jason was probably right.

But they had lost enough time on stupid stuff, and Tim had more pressing problems to address. "My bedroom is this way." He pointed out, leading the way. He made sure to sway his hips and curve his back. He also let his tail brush up on Jason's leg. Those were classics, and they had made their proofs multiple times. "Do you want to fuck me, or the opposite? I don't have much of a preference, but the first one will go faster, since, you know..." Tim smiled again, and deliberately moved his tail out of the way to let Jason see is hole as he easily put a whole finger in. "I come already relaxed and lubricated."

Jason groaned at his little show. "You have absolutely no shame, do you?"

Tim laughed again. "No. That is not standard issue in my kind. So, do you want to take me on my back, or from behind? I could also ride you... But that would make biting me in the middle of it trickier."

Jason made some more noise and tackled Tim into the bed. Tim arched and stretched for a kiss. He wanted so much, it had been whole months since he'd had a first hand meal. His insistence on consent made him reluctant to hunt, and he could get enough just by living where he did, but now that he had a prey already entangled in his charms, he wanted his meal to start as soon as possible.

He moaned at the stream of sexual energy Jason was giving off. As soon as his mouth got free though, he started complaining. "You are wearing much too many clothes, if they aren't off in ten seconds, I'm burning them."

Jason let go of him at once and removed the offending articles, pacifying Tim enough that he didn't do anything to distract him in the middle. What he did do was use the stream of sexual energy connecting him to Jason to read his intents since the vampire still hadn't given any verbal answer to his favorite position. The most prominent intent involved Tim on his back on the bed, immediately followed with Tim on all four. Both were alright by him so he moved to put himself in the exact position he had glimpsed.

Jason stood back up from his pants removal to find Tim spread out on his back, propped by pillows the exact way he'd been envisioning and legs open wide in invitation and did a double take. "Sex demon" Tim reminded him, gesturing for Jason to come closer.

The vampire exhaled and crawled over Tim. "Figures." Tim laughed again, he had been doing that a lot in this evening. He wrapped his legs around Jason's hips and his tail around one thigh, and used all of that to pull his lover right in.

He sighed with satisfaction at being filled, and started activating his inner energy circulation to siphon more sexual energy inside of himself.

He knew from his previous lovers that he tended to look totally happy and blissed out from the very start of any encounter. It was apparently both flattering and enrapturing, and looking at Jason's expression, he thought the same. Or it might be the fact that having sex with Tim tended to blow any other such experience totally out of the water.

Tim sighed in contentment and nudged Jason to make him move. "Come on. Bite me." He also whispered, having not forgotten why he had let Jason in.

The vampire jolted, starting to rock and bowing down to lick at Tim's neck, before sinking his fangs in.

As soon as Jason started sucking his blood, Tim understood exactly why he'd heard such high words on letting a vampire bite them. He could feel his blood spreading inside Jason, mingling, and making his energetic feedback that much faster. He was full within seconds, and being satiated meant he lost the focus he usually maintained on his energy flow to feed while he had sex, putting him right back inside his body and letting him enjoy the more physical aspects.

He found himself clutching at Jason like he was drowning, yelling at each thrust in, and when, a mere minute after they started, Jason came, he felt the feedback strike through him like lightning, filling him with so much energy and pleasure that he thought he was going to burst.

Tim was so absorbed with trying to redistribute and vent the energetic high that he didn't immediately notice how limp his vampire was.

He squirmed a bit and came to the conclusion that Jason was definitely passed out on top of him. Which... Was a fairly normal effect of incubus overfeeding on their prey.

Well, Tim mused. At least demon blood had an abnormally high feeding power to vampires so Jason should bounce back fairly quickly. He took a look at his energetic scheme and found the blood inside Jason still totally bursting with power. That explained it. As soon as the blood was assimilated, Jason should be very energetic, but for now he was totally drained from Tim's feeding.

Tim shrugged and pulled the covers over them. He was okay with this development. He sure hopped that Jason was as okay as him, because he wouldn't mind a repeat. Or several repeats.

It wasn't like the essay was that important.


	4. Supernatural AU 2: sequel

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> ANND NaNoWriMo is back! Yay!

Tim woke up with the kind of energy he had almost forgotten he used to have.

Jason was still laid out on his bed, though he didn't seem to be knocked out like the young vampires got whenever the sun was out. Then again, Tim was an incubus, not a vampire, most of his knowledge on them was second hand. But the welcome mat prank did seem to be effective.

There was an insidious niggle on his instinct that took him a moment to pinpoint. One of his claims was being challenged. With a frown, Tim flipped his vampire lover on his back and planted another kiss on his lips, finding one of the hostile links he had severed on the previous night already starting to knit itself back.

Tim growled and cut it again, cautious this time to avoid grazing the parental link, opening his eyes to curious blue eyes. "Your hunter is the persistent sort." Tim offered by the way of explanation. "They will probably remember you again."

The demon in him glowered at the impertinence. Daring to claim what was his. Tim's more pragmatic side was more concerned at the fact that there was such a good vampire hunter on his turf. Most of the time they didn't have anything against opportunistically hunting demons too.

Jason, for his part only sighed. "No offense to your powers, but I didn't expect it to last against Deathstroke the Terminator." Tim flinched at the name, his self-preservation sense telling him that he shouldn't have severed the link again. He would rather not have to fight Slade Wilson, or even have to hide from him. On the other hand, what was done was done. "Well, he should take at least a couple of hours. And then he will have the sanctuary to slow him down from finding you. Any idea what we could get up to in the meantime?"

Jason raised his brows at him, but obligingly put his arms around Tim's waist, letting his thighs fall open in invitation. "Well, that's a much better outcome than I was expecting when I saw this stupid mat. Tell me, do you have any lube around there?"

Tim laughed. "Why would I? Mine is far superior. Did you know it has aphrodisiac properties?"

Jason raised a brow at this. "Okay, so how do we..."

Oh, Tim could get addicted to doing other supernatural creatures. No fear of raping innocents, no need to be secretive, no disbelief. Tim smirked and reached a hand down, taking his already erect cock in hand and pumping twice, then cupped his hand around the tip in time to collect a palm full of clear, slippery liquid.

Jason groaned. "Oh hell, this smells delicious." He sneaked a glance at Tim's face, then, spurred on by his smug smile, pulled Tim's hand up to his mouth and tentatively lapped at the liquid. Tim's smile only widened as Jason's eyes glazed over and he groaned. "Wow, that's potent." He commented dreamily, before sipping a bit more.

Tim laughed an pulled his hand away. "That's enough. Unless you really want to get hooked and spend the next hour just sucking at my dick. I'm not opposed, but I thought you had other plans in mind."

Jason shook his head and blinked. "Right." He shot a slightly longing glance at Tim's erection, but spread his legs all the same to give Tim access. Tim went on to demonstrate the effects of incubus slick when applied topically to porous membranes. Jason didn't fail to demonstrate adequate appreciation to it, or to what they did afterward.

 

Tim ended up two hours late and essay-less to his lecture. He answered his professor's haughty question of what could possibly be more important his subject with a deadpan. "Passionate sex with a handsome stranger."

There was a collective rumor, Tim's overly sensitive ears caught a few 'I'll be your stranger any day' type of remarks, and tried not to outwardly react. It had taken him ten minutes of careful layering to get his glamor back over his overabundance of charm, and even so, he still turned heads anywhere he went. He had then decided that it could be chalked up to a 'just got extremely well fucked' glow, so it was okay. Still, he was almost surprised by the reminder of how much power he had once been used to wield every single day.

Later in the morning, Tim remembered exactly why he used to hate his seductive aura when it took him half an hour to get through the various people viciously hitting on him.

In the other hand, even as annoyed as he was, he still felt much more alive than he had since he stopped feeding the conventional way. In a way, he was surprised he hadn't noticed how... gray... he had been feeling for so long. But then, he supposed his power had waned too gradually for him to even notice.

 

He came home expecting but half dreading an empty apartment, but found an argument instead.

"You don't ask Dick to justify who he has sex with!" Tim heard Jason voice growl.

What?

"Well, to my knowledge, Dick has yet to go and sleep with a sex demon." Tim recognized the calm and rational voice that answered as belonging to Jason's Sire, Bruce.

Damn. Tim hadn't really thought that his conjured sanctuary would stand up to the will of an elder vampire, but it didn't bode very well for his chances to stand up the investigation by an enhanced and extremely experienced vampire hunter.

"Tim most probably saved my life yesterday, so spare me your concerned routine." Jason answered huffily.

"If you were truly in danger you should just have pulled for me, Jay, why do you always insist on doing things on your own, I didn't change you just so you could go and get yourself killed some other way!" Bruce answered somewhat more angrily than before.

"I had it under control, I just got tricked by this stupid mat, and got some other kind of help instead."

Oh, right, how had Bruce even been able to get in without an invitation in the first place? Tim gently closed his door, so as not to get detected by the vampires in his bedroom, and frowned. Then the fact that he had built his sanctuary around Jason and then staked a claim and had sex with him in his own bed came back to him. Hell, he even had his semen still safely tucked away in his belly. It probably wouldn't have meant much to humans, but for an incubus, this kind of thing had power, and probably extended the possession of his home to Jason, and therefore to his Sire too.

Sloppy, Tim. Should have formally kicked Jason out and uninvited him before going out. But then Jason had been radiating sexual satiation so intently by the time Tim left his apartment that his incubus instincts had been yelling at him to keep his prey well entangled in his charms and easily available for his future meals.

"Jay. Please listen to me." Bruce started again, pleading. "I can't... I can't see you like that again. I need you to be safe. I need to know that you will call me for help when you need it, and that I won't just feel the bond dampen one night and fly in to see you laying in a pool of blood ever again. If I come in to find you dead and too far for saving, I will lose it."

Tim's eyes widened. Elder vampires did not always have the best grasp on sanity, he knew that, but he hadn't realized how close he had come to getting dismembered by an angry vampire Sire.

"Well," Jason spat back, "if my death was such a shock to you, I still don't get why Joker is still amongst the mostly living."

Tim took a hasty step back. Joker? What the hell had he carelessly strolled into?

"You know I can't just kill him, no matter how much I'd like to. We already spoke about it. The council's rules prevent me from attacking other vampires, and your status as a human back then means that his murdering you did not constitute a punishable offense by our laws." Jason must have made a visual sign of annoyance because Bruce's voice gentled, and he turned pleading again. "Don't you think it eats away at me too? Don't you think I worry about him targeting Dick and Cass and Duke and Alfred just the same way he did you? Don't you think it eats away at my sanity to know he could very well decide to decimate my whole house someday and I can't even go and stake him through the heart because our stupid council prohibit vampires killing each-other, but will turn a blind eye to Joker willfully targeting my human friends and children? Don't you think I would have killed him the night he forced me to turn you if I hadn't been terrified of getting executed and having you sharing my fate, or worse, handed over to some disgusting, sadistic crazy elder vampire?"

"There are ways..." Jason protested feebly, with the air of someone who has already had this argument before and resigned themselves to losing every time, but unwilling to let it go.

An idea hit Tim all of a sudden, and he stepped in the bedroom, announcing his presence with a cheery. "Yes, there are."

The twin glares would normally have sent him running as far as he could, but hell, he wanted Jason to still sleep with him as many time as possible, and if his plans worked, then he could have that.

"And how would you do that, demon?" Bruce growled at him.

Tim smiled, trying to project more confidence than he really had. "Let me check before I stake my word on it, will you."

With a couple of steps, he came in front of Jason and planted a kiss on his lips, immediately finding his claim, and there was his challenger, the antagonistic bond to Jason already strengthening. He nodded absently to himself. Deathstroke was living up to his reputation, that was for sure.

He turned to Bruce and frowned as he thought about how to go about this. "I need you to think about how much you hate the Joker, and also to not throw me off when you feel me traveling up your Sire-child bond." He stated.

Bruce made a face. "My promise to kill you if you hurt Jason, or anyone of mine, still holds, demon."

Tim nodded briskly and stepped closer to his prey's father, painfully aware of how he was playing with fire. But he was a demon, fire was his friend.

Considering the nature of his claim to Jason, and the fact that the elder vampire in front of him was his Sire, Tim kissed Bruce's cheek instead of his lips, and concentrated on following his claim, up Jason's bond to his father, and down Bruce's own bonds, there were quite a few affective ones, some of them even resembling Jason's, only slightly weaker for the lack of vampire magic in them, and Tim carefully avoided grazing them, turning instead to the hostile links, letting Bruce's hate guide him to the Joker's own. It was quite a sturdy bridge of mutual loathing, as well as some one sided, twisted, crazy kind of love from the Joker's side. Tim could work with it.

Tim explained his plan, made sure to draw up a sturdy contract, promising he would do his very best to get Deathstroke to think he was here to kill the Joker instead of Jason, but asking in return that no one of Bruce's household try to harm him in retaliation if his attempt didn't succeed or backfired.

Then he kicked Bruce out of his bedroom, put a noise-dampening barrier up, stripped out of his clothes, since he liked those, and let his fire turn him back to his real body. Then he knelt between Jason's thighs and took him in his mouth. What he was about to do was a delicate operation, and he could use all the power boosts he could have.

He let his body go through the almost instinctive motions of the blowjob, and turned his whole concentration to Slade Wilson's fledgling claim on his prey. Instead of carelessly snapping the bond, he frayed and unraveled the link gently, carefully holding the tendrils in his grasp, without letting them latch on him instead. Jason rather conveniently came down his throat just as he finished his work, and Tim used the come in his body as a temporary anchor to the relationship.

Rather than needlessly agitate either of his vampiric guests, Tim put Jason back to rights, called his fire once more to clean himself of bodily fluids, and draped a sheet around his waist, before opening the door to let Bruce back in.

Since his concentration was already pretty strained, he didn't bother with subtleties, and pushed Bruce down on the bed too and curled up on his lap, winding his arms around the elder’s chest. Tim latched onto him like baby sex demons did, emanating cuteness rather than sexiness, luring the adults around them to feed them with their parental affection.

Thankfully, Bruce seemed inclined toward adopting children, and Tim felt his link through Jason relax and let him in easily.

Tim quickly found the Joker's link again, and started to burn up Jason's semen, to the double usefulness of giving an energetic boost and gradually liberating small tendrils of Deathstroke's hostile bond with Jason for Tim to connect to the Joker, at the same time as he disentangled a section of the crazy vampire's animosity toward Bruce to give it over to the vampire hunter.

He didn't know how long it took him to connect the links together and smooth them so they came together naturally without feeling forced to either of his targets, and also ensure that they didn't get tangled up with Bruce, so Deathstroke wouldn't hunt him down too. He didn't rush, surveyed that everything was well in place, then gently let go of the newly forged bond, accompanying it back so it didn't snap abruptly like an elastic, potentially alerting his targets of the tempering.

Then, Tim sighed and collapsed sideways on his bed, falling asleep almost instantly.

 

One week later, Jason happily informed him that Deathstroke and his group of vampire hunters had killed the Joker and had almost instantly left Gotham.

They woke up from their post celebratory sex nap to the sound of Tim's phone ringing.

""Hello, Tim. I know it's hard for you, but I'm having trouble getting people to come in and feed the teens again, do you have any energy to spare?"" Steph asked meekly.

Tim laughed. "You know, I do have plenty of energy to spare right now, see you in an hour."

He hung up and glanced at Jason. His vampire seemed puzzled. "Tell me, love, would you like to visit my kind's nursery? I swear the kids are cute as hell."

"I heard about feeding," Jason pointed out with a grimace, "are you going to have sex with..."

"No!" Tim interrupted. "That's, no. I'm going to go and hug adorable little demons, and listen to them babble about their day with a smile."

Jason smirked. "Okay, that does sound like fun."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Once again I put the new chapter right after it's start, the chapters are ordered by stories, not chronologically to their publication date.


	5. Day 3: Arranged Marriage // Fantasy AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Just... Try not to mortally offend them. It would be a good start." Bruce smiled as he adjusted Jason's flower crown. "Anything less I will be able to smooth over. And your fiance is really decisive about this alliance, so he'll forgive a lot."
> 
> Well, good to know the expectations were low. "I still don't get why it can't be Dick, he'll be much better at it."
> 
> "Because you're the only one whose race is traditionally in the summer court out of my sons, Dick is spring court, and it's great too, but the goal of the alliance isn't to soften Selina up, that much is done. The goal is to give every fae a strong symbol of our courts' union, and I know it's archaic, but a marriage is the best for this. And you, my summer son, is the best for the symbolism we are trying to achieve."

"Just... Try not to mortally offend them. It would be a good start." Bruce smiled as he adjusted Jason's flower crown. "Anything less I will be able to smooth over. And your fiance is really decisive about this alliance, so he'll forgive a lot."

Well, good to know the expectations were low. "I still don't get why it can't be Dick, he'll be much better at it."

"Because you're the only one whose race is traditionally in the summer court out of my sons, Dick is spring court, and it's great too, but the goal of the alliance isn't to soften Selina up, that much is done. The goal is to give every fae a strong symbol of our courts' union, and I know it's archaic, but a marriage is the best for this. And you, my summer son, is the best for the symbolism we are trying to achieve."

"Remind me why it isn't you getting married to Selina?" Jason sniped, smoothing his jacket out and stretching his wings to check their that the oil coating giving it rainbow iridescent reflections hadn't worn out yet.

"Because I had a son with Talia, and even if she forgave me for getting married to another fae, the rest of the autumn court might still take it as an insult to their kind, and that would still hinder the goal of fae unity. The spring court is traditionally a part of the Seelie faction and our followers, and adopting Dick as my son also did a lot to soften them up, even though that isn't the reason why I love him, and Damian gives us a link with the autumn court, which already was an in with the Unseelies as a whole, but the winter court is still left, and it just so happens that Selina's favorite protegee, Timothy, is a similar age to yours and shares our feeling on the necessity of faeries unity. Give him a chance, he always looked like a very intelligent and nice young fae to me, and you might even end up liking him."

Jason already knew all of this, Bruce had said so at least three times since he'd first broached the subject of arranging Jason's marriage. Jason, despite avoiding the courts and court meetings like the plague had probably seen Timothy a few times, he just hadn't bothered remembering the name of Selina's entourage, and therefore wasn't quite sure which one of the young winter faeries he had been financed to. 

Not that it mattered. Getting married at Bruce's convenience had always been the price he knew he would one day pay for being adopted as his court's prince, and he would always want to make his father proud. The fact that Bruce had gone out of his way to make Jason's marriage an easy one that he shouldn't be able to fuck up by mistake because his fiance already was committed to making it stick was just another proof of how Bruce cared about him. Or of how he knew that marrying Jason off wouldn't be such an easy task.

Jason had avoided asking exactly who his fiance was because it would be admitting that he hadn't been paying attention to the names of Queen Selina's suit. But paying attention to the wrong fae would probably count as mortally offending, so Jason sucked it up. "Remind me Timothy's race?"

The look Bruce gave him was kind of serenely exasperated. Which was a lot more serene than what Jason thought it could have been. After a sigh, Bruce briskly started talking again. "Timothy is of mixed races, his most predominant element is water, he has blue eyes with both white and black mixed in, black hair, very light skin that tends to glow silver, pointed ears and dark almost black horns, he has four translucent wings that rather resemble that of a dragonfly, he is a bit shorter than you and he should be wearing black, and either blue in his court's honor, or red in yours, depending on what message he and Selina want to pass."

Okay, so he was busted about not paying attention. But at least the description was pretty comprehensive. Jason was now almost sure of which one of Selina's protegee he was getting financed to. He hadn't talked to him much, but he didn't hate him either, so it was at least that.

Bruce reached for Jason's head again, this time to fuss with his hair. Jason very often puts a glamor on it to make it darker, but today he let it stay in it's natural blond curls because it was a visible trait of the summer court, politically, it was important. Bruce reached for another feather and fastened it to a strand of hair. "He should be right in the middle, very close to Selina, she should present him to us formally, then you are to compliment his beauty in a heartfelt and honest way, then you have to exchange and accept your betrothal gifts while mentioning that it is a gift to your future husband, sign the invitation to the marriage together and then, you should kiss him, at which point the celebration will begin and the two of you will do the opening dance. Me and Selina will have the second dance, to show our support. The two of you will be seated together, and you should have at least three public dances together in the evening, though seven would be best. If you do seven dance, then it will be totally accepted for the two of you to retire early together in his quarters."

So not remembering Timothy's name warranted a whole lecture on etiquette. Great. As if Jason would forget any of those things. But also, he guessed it was fair. "Yes, I know. Being late would be rude, dad, let's go."

Bruce blinked repeatedly, like he tended to do lately when Jason called him dad. He nodded, taking his hands out of Jason's head. "You're right. They are waiting for us."

Bruce stepped back, then he looked at Jason again, plucked another wildflower from his table and tucked it over one of Jason's ear. "You're perfect." He smiled. Then drew himself up in his kingly pose and extended an arm for Jason to hold as they walked out toward the crowd.

The betrothal ceremony was held in unseelie land, to show their good will, so even as they were joined by Bruce's entourage, they were still fairly isolated. A touch of bright summer in the dark winter. Dick came closer and put a hand on Jason's shoulder, he was always tactile in his encouragement, and it brought a smile to Jason's face. He was going to get married, not executed.

Jason really shouldn't have worried about confusing his intended for anyone else, as they walked into Selina's throne room he was pretty much the only thing Jason could see. He sat on Queen Selina's right, her hand resting on his, posture as perfect as any king, and he was literally dripping with jewelry from the top of his horns to his toes.

When their host came in, Selina and Timothy stood at once, causing a series of tingling noises from the moving metal. Timothy looked every bit like a sophisticated princess, all decked out in shiny metal, it was silver on his bare feet and arms, but it got gold going up, he wore a gold diadem with a huge blue gem in the middle that looked like a third eye on him, the gold even climbing up his ears and horns.

Jason had seen Timothy before, of that he had no doubt, but not thinking he was getting married to him, which did give him a whole new set of eyes. Timothy had a beautiful face, that had been painted to look even more breathtaking for the occasion, and it felt like Jason could cut his hands touching it, something that wasn't that unusual in dark faes, he also had almost endless legs and long, straight black hair.

Jason noticed, as Timothy got up, that even his wings had jewelry attached to them. It was beautiful, but Jason almost winced seeing them. God, he would kill anyone who even suggested weighting his wings down like that. On the other hand, it did make his fiance jingle in a very pleasant way anytime he moved. And, he guessed, if Timothy was ready to wear this for the sake of the alliance, there was very little that Jason could do that would be worse. 

Jason caught Timothy's hand easily when it was presented to him and kissed the it's back. "You look like the most precious treasure hidden amongst a pirate's hoard." He smiled. "Making me feel a bit under-dressed, though."

Tim smiled right back. "You shouldn't. You look like a welcome ray of sunlight in this place, and are as fresh as the spring breeze."

Jason smiled and blushed a bit even though he knew the compliment themselves were a part of the ritual, they were still almost always truthful.

Tim's gift was a very beautifully crafted gold necklace, and Jason bent down to let his fiance put it on for him.

Jason's gift for Tim was more Bruce's gift for Tim, as Jason's father was the one who knew anything about his fiance's tastes. But Jason had seen it and knew exactly what it was before he gave it accompanied with ritual words of promise.

Tim took a moment to look at the embellished but still very effective collapsible combat staff and smiled up at Jason at he accepted it.

Something in Tim's face, or maybe in the moment, in how Tim had given him a golden ornament and that changed their original setting of all flowers-all metals something pushed Jason to go off script. He removed the last flower Bruce had added to his head, tried to be discreet about weaving a life-giving charm around it, and tucked it on Timothy's head, between the top side of a horn and his silky black hair. Finding some inane comment to say about giving his future husband a piece of summer too.

There was a hush on the throne room, but when Jason's flower did not immediately wilt, the whole atmosphere seemed to lift up. A glance at Selina showed her giving off a satisfied little smile, and Bruce was a bit wide-eyed, but did not look angry, so he hadn't done anything too bad.

They signed the agreement, kissed with much more heat than Jason had thought would happen with someone Bruce picked for him to marry but that he had never really talked to before, and they went out toward the floor to give the opening dance.

The day passed in something of a blur. A time deformed blur. Sometimes, he would take Timothy's hand and got to the dance-floor and the song seemed to stop mere seconds afterward, and sometimes he sat at the table for what he knew to be ten minute but stretched out to feel like hours.

It made keeping track of when he had last touched up the charm around Timothy's flower trickier, but at the same time, the drive to keep his fiance's aura from killing the flower Jason had given him was something that helped ground him through the celebration.

Came another dance, and he enjoyed himself, was about to ask Timothy if he wanted to stay for the next one, but the dark fae in his arms heaved a sigh before he could do so. It was the first hint of annoyance he had given all day and Jason paused at it, waiting for any clue of what to do. Timothy smiled and curtsied to the room before sticking his hand through Jason's arm and steering him toward the exit.

A rapid count confirmed to Jason that it had been their seventh dance, and the moment for them to bow out and go to Timothy's rooms and he followed silently.

Timothy puled him in his quarters, closed the door, touched his charmed lock and slumped from the perfect posture he had been keeping all day.

With much less spring to his steps, he headed for a vanity, collapsed in the chair and groaned. Jason stood frozen until he saw his fiance start to remove the gold bands from his horns, and his first though about the jewelry that he had somehow forgotten came back to him. Right, how much strain and pain had his fiance been while he was jingling and shining all evening?

Jason steeled himself and stepped closer to the vanity. Timothy shot him a wary look via the mirror, which wasn't strange since it was their first real time together as fiances without the heavy and judgmental stares of a whole court on them. Tim had very little assurances that Jason wouldn't be an asshole to him.

He tried not to let it get to him and knelled behind Timothy. "Let's get your wings out of these death traps, Timothy."

His fiance jolted a bit. "You can call me Tim." He murmured. Then a bit louder. "I didn't notice that you hated my jewelry that much."

Jason snorted. "I don't. It looks and sounds very nice and it made you even more fascinating to be around... But you wouldn't catch me dead with my wings in something like that." After a bit of observation, he reached for one of the jingling pendants and delicately lifted it to see how it was connected to the fragile membranes of Tim's wings. "Is it held by pinching?" He asked, outraged in his fiance's behalf.

Tim peered over his shoulder. "No. Though it can pinch if it isn't made to the exact right measurements, or if I pull them sideways by mistake."

The next stretch of time passed silently, Tim removing the jewelry that was easy to access himself, and Jason examining the fastenings of the horrible wing jewels very carefully to work out a way to remove them without hurting his betrothed.

Once he guessed exactly how to slide them off, he went about removing the metal. He noticed the slight quivers in the thin membrane, and knew that it was either a sign of how much the jewelry was hurting and straining Tim, or of how afraid the dark fae was to let Jason take care of such a delicate operation that could so easily hurt him.

Jason took care to be as slow and delicate as when he was gently teasing dried sap out from Stephanie's entangled golden mane after she took it upon herself to run through the woods all day. He followed each link up and gently pried them away from the border of the wing, then supported the metal to keep the weight from transferring up.

When he finished the first wing and unclasped the netted decoration from their anchor in Tim's back, he was almost hit in the face by the freed wing, with how fast it shot up. The wing quivered and went through a few flight pattern movements, then Tim flattened it up and out of the way of his three other wings. With a huff of a laugh, Jason took the hint and went about liberating the next wing. It did go faster as Jason got the hang of it, and before long he had all four dragonfly like wings free, and lightly quivering at their new lightness.

Jason chuckled and bent to pick his fiance up. Tim made a bit of a sound, but didn't fight when Jason carried him through the suite, he even told him where the bedroom was. Jason deposited his brand new betrothed in the bed and started removing his clothes, still not getting much of a reaction. He got a reaction when after removing the robes, he pushed Tim down on his stomach without removing the pants. But Tim's noise stopped in a gurgle as soon as Jason pressed his palm down between Tim's wings.

Tim made a meek little noise, but nothing more, and Jason shushed him even as he straddled his waist and started smoothing his hands along Tim's poor abused flight muscles. Tim didn't move beneath him through the massage, beside the trembles and quivers. And he did make beautiful sounds, little gasps and whines and sighs that Jason definitely wished he could hear again in a more intimate setting soon. (Which was a reasonable wish since they were about to get married.)

When he couldn't feel any knots of tension anymore, Jason slipped a hand in his tunic to retrieve his decorative wing oil, not the best, but he didn't want to make Tim have to think about where his own salves were stashed when he was so obviously so out of it. He poured a generous amount in his palm and warmed it up by rubbing his hands, then bent to get hold of one of the wings and gently but firmly smeared the oil on, insisting a bit wherever it looked like it had gotten pinched.

Tim yelped again and tried to look over his shoulder despite how he seemed to have melted in a puddle over his bed. "What?"

Jason chuckled. "Just some oil, don't worry. It should help a bit with the irritation. It will make you shimmer though."

"So that's how you do it." Tim mused. Then after a pause. "I guess I'm alright with it, if it can get me out of wearing stuff on it tomorrow."

Jason finished lavishing care on his betrothed wings, and peered at the leftover oil on his hands. There was enough for a neck massage too.

Tim sighed at Jason's touch and mumbled in his bed's comforter. "I'm keeping you."

Jason blinked. "I thought you were hell bent on this alliance and would have married me even if I was a goat?"

Tim snorted. "A goat might be stretching it." He sighed, and shifted another portion of his neck under Jason's palm. "But yes, I would have kept to the marriage anyway. Now I'm definitely keeping YOU."

Jason reminded himself that Tim was a dark fae, and that to them, a marriage sometimes meant less than a feeling of possession. "Thank you, I think." He smiled, and tipped forward to kiss the back of Tim's ear. He noticed something on the way up and, carefully not to put oil on Tim's hair, he reached for the small wildflower tucked by the fae's horn. "You kept it on? It's starting to wilt."

Jason started breathing life in the poor little flower again, and was surprised by a dismissive sniff. "Some idiot thought it would be a good idea to put it on me. What were you even thinking? That was reckless of you." He didn't sound angry, but at least a bit annoyed.

Jason sighed. "I don't know. I guess I wasn't even thinking." He looked at the rejuvenated flower and placed it back on Tim's head. "Bruce says I have lightning judgment. Sometimes I get impulses to do things, they might look stupid and reckless at first, but looking back at it later, they could be pulled off and helped achieve exactly what I was trying to do when the impulse came to me. I think it was another one of those... It did help, didn't it."

Tim grunted. "It was a powerful image, and it didn't wilt until we got out, so I guess. But tell me about your crazy plans next time."

Jason smiled and leaned more of his weight into his massage.

By the time he removed his own ornaments and slipped in the bed next to his betrothed, not even considering trying to have sex with how exhausted Tim was, he was smiling, full of hope and confidence. They could make it. They would make it, and he was sure they would probably have as many lows as they had highs, but he and Timothy could be happy in a marriage and pull Bruce's vision one more step toward reality together.


	6. Day 4: *Free Prompt* Strippers

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jason held still by a conscious effort of will as the manager snarled in his face that if he didn't do better, he would be fired.
> 
> As much as he wanted to not work in this place anymore, he still didn't have the intel that had pushed him to come and work undercover in this club. He wished he could have landed a bartender gig, but this fancy place only took fancy flair bartender, and for as much as Jason would probably be able to pull it off, he didn't have the right fame in the right circles for it.
> 
> Nonetheless, he knew what this manager was doing right now, yelling at him all clothed up while Jason only wore a thong and those ridiculous tassel decorated nipple pasties. It was a deliberate power move, and while it might not quite be sexual harassment, it definitely wasn't very decent of him. He could at least berate his strippers when they were clothed.
> 
> The drapes that had been giving Jason's lecture a sliver of privacy were abruptly pulled open, making the two of them turn. There stood the replacement, looking all slick and rich in his fancy suit.

Jason held still by a conscious effort of will as the manager snarled in his face that if he didn't do better, he would be fired.

As much as he wanted to not work in this place anymore, he still didn't have the intel that had pushed him to come and work undercover in this club. He wished he could have landed a bartender gig, but this fancy place only took fancy flair bartender, and for as much as Jason would probably be able to pull it off, he didn't have the right fame in the right circles for it.

Nonetheless, he knew what this manager was doing right now, yelling at him all clothed up while Jason only wore a thong and those ridiculous tassel decorated nipple pasties. It was a deliberate power move, and while it might not quite be sexual harassment, it definitely wasn't very decent of him. He could at least berate his strippers when they were clothed.

The drapes that had been giving Jason's lecture a sliver of privacy were abruptly pulled open, making the two of them turn. There stood the replacement, looking all slick and rich in his fancy suit.

Jason gaped a bit, trying to work out why the bats would send Red here as Timothy Drake-Wayne, but then he remembered how upper class this joint was. Of course, as long as the replacement only came here to scope out the place, no one should connect him to whatever the bats did with the info later. He didn't have the time to say anything, because Tim beamed at them.

"Oh, hey. I got a bit lost... But man was it worth it." He grinned toothily and outright leered at Jason. "Can you be my company for the night, gorgeous."

Jason's manager promptly fell over himself to do whatever "Mr Wayne" wanted, and before long, Jason found himself seated across his replacement's lap with a very stern command from the manager not to disappoint their VIP client.

Jason was about to growl at the little shit for making fun of him, but he got a finger over his lips before he could even begin. "Be pretty and silent, please." Tim smiled at him. And that was unlike him enough that Jason paused. Tim smiled again. "Good, come closer."

The demand was accompanied by a press, then a hand in his hair making him bow his head toward Tim's. He was trembling with outrage by this point, and the only thing keeping him from strangling Tim there and then were the elaborate plans he was making.

"Don't be an idiot, Jay. If you step out of bonds now, my interference is going to totally backfire against you." That gave Jason a pause.

Just how long had Tim eavesdropped before he burst in? It might have been an honest attempt at getting Jason back in his management's good graces.

"Now, I'll set a meeting for us later to discuss why you're here." Was muttered in his collarbone. "In the meantime, let me give you a few pointers."

Jason blinked. "Pointers?" He didn't need pointers, did he? He was shaved everywhere, wore the ridiculous stuff and shook his butt on command, what more would he need?

Tim didn't answer right away, instead tugging at Jason's waist. "You have like zero fat, you can really arch your spine in, it'll make the curve of your back more alluring. And also make your butt stick out more, which... It's a strip club."

Jason snorted, but let Tim manhandle him to get a feel of exactly what he meant. It was unnatural and weird, but not impossible to hold as long as he didn't forget it.

Tim hummed and nodded. "Also, your thighs are otherworldly, so that's what you have to flaunt, see if you can put being on all fours in your dance routine, and absolutely don't hesitate to lower your whole torso when bringing drinks, or doing anything. You have very conveniently placed tassels that will help redirect everyone's eyes to them."

Jason wrinkled his nose. The replacement saw and chuckled. "Hey, you're the one who went with stripper. Why do you think I came as a client?"

Tim kept him at his table for a while, throwing small suggestion on how Jason could best present himself here and there, then left with a fat lump of cash slipped in Jason's thong and a shameless smack on his ass.

 

Even after he wrapped the case, and yes, the pointers had helped, damn it, there was a stupid question nibbling at him. Had the replacement unironically praised his thighs. He was pretty sure he had.

But he didn't catch Red Robin looking at them again at any time later, and he tried to put that out of his mind.

 

Another thing that stuck with him was the 'why do you think I came as a client'. Which was a good advice.

And that is how Jason found himself sipping overpriced beer at the back row of a fairly seedy strip joint With his usual direct sight-line to the door, staring at one of the strippers almost more than at his mark.

There was something about him. He couldn't exactly put his finger on what but he was familiar. He looked like he had some Latino roots, was ripped for a civilian, and his jaw had a form that he knew, but it didn't quite match...

He still hadn't figured it out by the time the dancer exited the scene, thong elastic full of bills. He already knew that this was going to grate on him when he spotted the same stripper, bills free, slithering through the tables. He almost called himself paranoid for thinking he was heading for him, but it wouldn't be true. The stripper did indeed come to his table and slip in his lap.

That close, and with blue eyes peering at him, he finally could see where the stripper's features, though not matching, were at least the same size or bigger than the replacement's. "Tim?"

The stripper smiled sweetly and shook his head. "Terry, actually, but I can have whatever name you want to call me."

The voice was also the same, and his hand on bare skin could feel the trace of scars hidden by heavy-duty tattoo cover foundation.

Out of curiosity, he rubbed a bit, then examined his hand. "Impressive. No transfer at all."

Tim shot him a very exaggerated wide eyed look of offense. "I'll have you know that I don't use any spray tan."

Right. Keeping covers up. "I'm sorry. You don't look orange, I don't doubt you."

Tim grumbled, but draped himself further over Jason, until he could whisper in his hear. "I'm here for intel on the owner. We suspect he sells his dancers into forced prostitution. What's your angle?"

Jason strangled the unexpected anger at learning that the bats had decided that sending Tim specifically as a dancer in a place they suspected of doing these kind of things. "Tailing one of Black Mask's underlings to map out who he comes in contact with."

Tim hummed and then laughed like Jason had made a joke.

Whatever he was going to say was lost in a blur of motion as Tim's hand dove into Jason's jacket without hesitation. Jason almost decked him out of reflex, but held still as Tim's hand expertly twisted and tugged the gun out of Jason's holster. Jason heard the faint click of the safety being turned off and saw Tim slip the gun under his arm, aiming at something behind his back.

Two loud gunshots rang. Then after a short pause, two more.

Tim yelled along with the crowd and used the distraction to roll against Jason's torso to neatly re-holster the gun.

Jason was still unsure what had just happened, but he played along, diving to the floor, taking Tim along. A glance back showed two men carrying automatic weapons collapsed on the floor at the entry door of the club.

A part of him was still reeling at having seen one of Bruce's little birds use a firearm, while the rest had already made sense of it. Tim was pretty much in underwear there, and they had been too far for an easy leap. Any lost moment could have made a victim, so of course he used the best thing he had on hand to try and put a stop to the situation as fast as possible.

An unwelcome part of Jason's brain was whispering how hot it had been, and really, not the moment.

Jason pushed Tim under a table, slipped a domino from his pocket and slapped it on, then strode toward the gunmen. He had to keep them from getting back up, and do some interrogation.

They were, as he'd been suspecting, not harmed in any vitally endangering way. And they might have gotten up again without intervention, but a few kicks were enough to get them to surrender their weapons.

Jason's quick interrogation confirmed it was a simple protection racket disturbance. Probably unrelated to either of their cases, but it added one gang family to the Red Hood's shit list. Seriously, Gotham was unbelievable.

Jason cuffed them and slipped out without checking on Tim again, the little bird could handle himself, and not having anything to do with the Red Hood would help him keep his cover.

He waited on a roof nearby, monitoring the confusion. He spotted Tim coming out. Tim took one look straight at him, then turned and headed straight for Jason's closest blot-hole.

Okay. That was also way too hot. What was wrong with him, making him react to the Replacement that much?

 

He took the rooftop way along with Tim and met him at the door.

"So." Jason started.

Tim glared and extended a hand. "I'm cold, give me your jacket."

Jason blinked but handed the jacket over. It was cold, and the little bird was still dressed way too lightly. Probably an undercover thing.

 

"Why exactly were you sent undercover as a stripper in a joint the bat suspects sells their dancers?" He growled as soon as they were safely in.

Tim crossed his arms. "I can protect myself."

"You didn't even have a back-up."

Tim growled his answer. "I said I can protect myself!"

That was not always enough. "Couldn't they have at least gotten Dick to go undercover with you?"

Tim was obviously trying to keep a straight face, but he cracked, and grinned by the time he was answering that question. "Dick... Has been forbidden from letting people have a clear look at his ass and eyes at the same time."

Jason was taken short by the humor around this statement. "What."

Tim was now grinning. "It would be an identity risk. Apparently he is identifiable as Nightwing by his butt alone, so he has been advised to keep it covered anytime his face was visible."

Jason barked a laugh. "Oh to be a fly on that wall when Bruce told him that."

Tim made a face. "Well, he didn't. He made me tell him."

Jason frowned. "You sure get the shitty errands."

Tim smiled again. "Oh, don't worry, I made sure to let Dick know in whose place I was speaking. Dick climbing stairs in a huff and yelling that if Bruce had a problem with his backside he could tell it to his face is one of the highlights of my life."

Jason smiled at the notion, but became serious again. "You don't even have weapons, what was the bat thinking sending you alone and without back-up in this viper's nest?"

"Statistically, the strippers tend to disappear after three weeks or more. I am going to have regular back-up starting next week."

Jason narrowed his eyes at him. "Well, as today proved, that's not enough. When are you working there? I'll come and watch your back if the Bat can't spare you any of his brood."

Tim made a face, then smirked. "Well, I noticed you had something for looking at me, I didn't think it was the back, though."

Jason blushed. He had walked straight into this one. "Well, it's all curved in and makes you ass pop."

Tim laughed and shook his head. "Oh yeah, that. I swear these tassels nipple pasties have been haunting me since then."

Jason tried to sound disinterested as he asked. "Oh, not my thighs?"

Tim snorted and shook his head. Jason felt a stab of disappointment before Tim answered verbally. "They have been haunting me for far longer than that."

Jason cleared his throat. It was a chance to take but... "I might have been made to buy my own gear and still have the pasties, if you think it'll help with the haunting?"

The look Tim shot him was very interested.


	7. Day 5:  Fake/Pretend Relationship // Royalty AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Tim stayed deathly silent, hoping that his iciness alone would convey the weight of his disapproval.
> 
> No such luck. The old earl kept prattling on about how much more suitable to rule Tim was compared to his older brother because at least Timothy had been adopted from a ducal family and not street performers.
> 
> Tim took a deep breath to calm himself, then smiled as sweetly as he could, and told the old fart that he would be sure to relay his message to his father the king.
> 
> Earl Duchamp blanched, and started stuttering. Tim didn't give him any sympathy, or wait around for his rushed excuses, instead storming out of the room.

Tim stayed deathly silent, hoping that his iciness alone would convey the weight of his disapproval.

No such luck. The old earl kept prattling on about how much more suitable to rule Tim was compared to his older brother because at least Timothy had been adopted from a ducal family and not street performers.

Tim took a deep breath to calm himself, then smiled as sweetly as he could, and told the old fart that he would be sure to relay his message to his father the king.

Earl Duchamp blanched, and started stuttering. Tim didn't give him any sympathy, or wait around for his rushed excuses, instead storming out of the room.

This had been happening more often as Tim came of age, all manners of ensconced and stupid noblemen and women coming up to him to tell him how relieved they were that one of Bruce's adopted sons at least had some blue blood. It did tend to be accompanied with the most unsubtle hints about how good a queen someone of their family would make, and Tim was completely fed up with it all.

He did tell Bruce and Dick of each one of these unsubtle offers for support to get himself declared as the crown prince, and he knew that Bruce liked having this list of problematic nobles. But Tim felt his patience with hearing insults aimed at his amazing brother or his dead parents wear thinner by the day. He didn't know how long he would last before he started challenging these idiots in duel.

He had already done everything he could to make his unwavering support to Dick obvious, but apparently that wasn't enough. Normally, he would have been able to send out a message about his lack of ambition toward the crown by carefully choosing his marriage, but as a second prince, the possibility of his marriage was too big an exchange currency to get wasted in a single political statement. Especially one as obvious as his unwavering support for his older brother.

But thinking of marriages... Maybe he could get lover. Something scandalous enough that idiot nobles would stop thinking he is as close-minded as them?

Someone low-born. But who could protect themselves against petty nobles. Male would be nice for shock value. With loyalty to Bruce, and who wouldn't try to use Tim for more power. Already, Tim could only see one suitable candidate, but he kept listing qualities, to feel out the solidity of his choice. Someone he could separate from without worry for either of their reputations later. That Bruce wouldn't be opposed to as Tim's lover. Someone the people loved and whose appearance next to Tim would not cause the commoners to fly out of the handle with outrage. Who had enough power of his own that even the nobles wouldn't want to get in a fight with him.

The Red Knight.

If Dick was the fairytale prince, poor street performer adopted by a king after his parent's tragic death and now set to be the next king that everyone adored because of how good and empathic he was, then Duke Todd was the hero of an epic poem.

Jason Todd was born a commoner, maybe even less than that, at one point there had been rumors that his mother had been a lowly whore, though no one dared besmirch the Red Knight's mother now.

Through determination and hard work, he had became a member of the palace guards, and one day, had saved Prince Richard from an assassination attempt. That had made Bruce take notice of him, and he had been given a horse, a house, and the title of Knight, as well as a place in Bruce's own escort. Then one day on the battlefield, Jason, then called the Red Knight, dove in front of a spear to protect his king. He almost died from his wounds. Bruce had given him the title of Duke, a land, and the fortune necessary to administer his fief as a recompense.

But that wasn't where the list of Jason Todd's achievements stopped, at least not as far as Tim was concerned. One thing Bruce had forgotten when appointing his recompense was that his Knight had never learned to count or read. Todd had yelled at Bruce that he was illiterate and couldn't administer a Duchy, and Bruce had offered to lend him his best royal tutors to avoid to the both of them the humiliation of having to retract his recompense.

And so Jason Todd had learned. He was now an excellent reader, and could verify his Duchy's taxes on his own. He now knew how to read, speak and write several languages. He read for fun, and had opinions on classic writers, his land was flourishing under his care, and he, as far as Tim could tell, had never accepted a single bribe.

Even though he was now a Duke, he had never made a move to get the people to stop calling him the Red Knight, and so it was how he was still referred to half of the time. Another man could have taken offense to this, but he seemed prouder about this title than that of Duke, and that was yet another reason why everyone adored him.

Truly, there was no one better suited to play the part of Tim's scandalous lover.

A smile now firmly pressed to his face, Tim power-walked down the corridors to find the chamberlain. He bumped into Dick on his search and paused. "Oh, hey. Could you tell Bruce that Earl Duchamp just offered me his support to climb up before you in the line of succession? I'm a bit busy."

Dick caught his arm before Tim could make it much further. "What else happened? You never smile when someone tries to kiss up to you. Were you jinxed?"

Tim blinked at Dick. Oh, yeah, right. Might as well use this as a set up for his plan. "No. I am in love, Dick."

Tim used Dick's surprise to slip out of the hold, now running down the corridor so his brother wouldn't catch up to him.

By the time he found Alfred, he was out of breath, but he probably had the most gleefully manic expression on his face. "Alfred! I need to get a message out to Duke Todd, to meet me at his earliest convenience!"

Alfred blinked in surprise. "Very well. I shall let him know."

"Magnificent!" Tim beamed, already running out because he might still have an overbearing older brother chasing him. It had been a while since he felt so alive. Maybe he should get up to mischief more often.

Two hours later, Tim was hidden in a tree, snickering at his brother's loud cries of "Timmy, who is iiit?" When he spotted Alfred heading his way followed by a familiar mountain of a man. He probably should have given Alfred the time to answer after asking him to call the Red Knight for him...

He jumped down to the ground and tried to look moderately put together. "Oh, great. That was fast. Thank you Alfred."

Alfred had his prim and proper face on, but Tim could see a twinkle of amusement in his eyes. "It just so happened that I had afternoon tea scheduled with Sir Todd to discuss the fine point of miss Austin's literature today."

Tim swallowed. "I am sorry for disturbing your plans."

Behind Alfred's back, the Red Knight was giving Tim a disbelieving stare. Well, nothing much he could do about the circumstances now, was it.

"Would your urgent meeting with Sir Todd have anything to do with the crown prince chasing you, your highness?"

Tim gave Alfred is brightest grin. "I sure hope so. I need to be able to have a talk in private, could you arrange it?"

"Well, by such a nice afternoon, I would recommend going out for a bit of a ride along the river."

"Brilliant." Tim grinned and started walking toward the stables. Then he paused, looked back at Jason and cleared his throat. "I mean, if you're okay with it?"

The Red Knight was still giving him a disbelieving stare, but he shrugged and followed Tim, so it was probably alright.

The stable hands rushed to get them horses as soon as they saw the illustrious figures asking for them, and before long, they were riding out of the castle.

Tim kept glancing over his shoulder until the Red Knight cleared his throat. "So, Why is Prince Richard searching for you? Or more importantly, why are you avoiding him?"

Tim turned back, grinning, but he sobered up at the suspicious expression aimed at him. "I didn't want to have to answer to his questions before I talked with you."

The suspicious expression didn't go away, and Tim sighed. "You must be aware that many nobles are coming to me offering me their support to get myself declared heir to the crown in prince Richard's stead?"

It might not have been the right thing to start out with, as Sir Todd had turned thunderous hearing his words. "And so you needed to have a secret meeting with me to confirm my support before you confront him about your betrayal?"

Tim almost fell off his horse in surprise. "No, god no." He peered at the Red Knight's still angered expression. "Though seeing your reaction to this assumption does reassure me that I was right in choosing you for my plan."

The narrowed eyes he got in response were a proof that Sir Todd's suspicion were still clinging. "And what might your plan be, your highness?"

Tim looked around to confirm no one was eavesdropping on them, then nudged his horse to come closer to the knight's. "I was going to ask you to be my lover."

Todd jerked, then stared at Tim. "What? Your What?"

Tim shushed him, then elaborated in a still hushed voice. "You don't have to actually sleep with me. But I'd like to introduce you as my lover to as many people as I can for the spring festival."

"But why?" Asked the knight, still looking totally out of his depth.

"Oh, right. I skipped a step in my explanation again. Most of the people trying to convince me to overthrow Dick use my higher lineage as a reason for it, and they generally have the ambition of marrying me to a woman in their family before or after the fact." Todd nodded along, but didn't look like he had caught all of Tim's reasoning. "Publicly claiming that I am lovers with the Red Knight would send the message that I couldn't care less about lineage, and that I am not looking for a queen. It should give me a break from these vultures before I end up killing one of them."

Sir Todd looked a bit less angry and a lot more considering. "And what would the advantages be to me?"

Tim paused. He had thought about his would be lover's security, but he hadn't thought about arguments to convince him to do it. He rooted about for what he knew about the knight. "Well... You would get the satisfaction of annoying them. I chose to ask you specifically because they can't really try to threaten you for being with me." He took a deep breath, thinking some more. "Since me showing a preference for males would also weaken my claim on the throne, that would also be a way to reinforce Richard's claim?"

Sir Todd stayed silent for a minute. "I would enjoy messing with these idiot nobles... And I do have enough power to protect myself while doing this... But I have a Duchy to administer, I am a pretty busy man."

Tim nodded eagerly. "It isn't a problem, Duke Todd, as I said, I don't actually expect you to come sleep with me every night, and my princely duties aren't so heavy that I can't get leave form them every now and then to come and visit you at your estate."

The duke groaned. "If we are going to do this, please call me Jason. Does the King know of your plan?"

Tim shook his head. "No, I didn't tell him, I just had the idea, and I wanted your answer before I made any announcement. I did tell Dick that I was in love, though."

Jason gave him an appraising look. "Is that why he was looking for you?"

Tim laughed. "I'm already having way too much fun with this plan, I can only imagine how much more I'll have when you're actually in with me."

Jason sighed. "I can't believe I came to a point of my life where I am saying this, but yes, your highness, I will be you lover."

Tim rubbed his hands in glee. "Great. Let's go back to the castle, we can try and get Dick to catch us in a compromising position. Oh. And if we are going to do this, please call me Tim."

Jason made his horse turn around and trot back with Tim's. "Great. I am already regretting it. I thought we were doing it to fuck with the stuck up nobles, not prince Dick?"

Tim looked back and grinned. "We are, but fucking with Dick is always a bonus."

Jason shook his head, but snorted and pushed his horse to go faster, turning their trip back into a chase.

Tim dismounted his horse still high from the feeling of a conspiracy going as he wanted it to, and the childish pleasure of a good game on horseback. He turned to grin at his brand new 'lover', but heard Dick's voice yelling for him awfully close by, and running footsteps. Oops.

Before he really had a plan, Jason had caught him around the waist, pushed him in an empty stall and crowded him against a plank wall.

Tim had a moment of total brain freeze. Oh, right. He had forgotten how very handsome and well built Jason was, hadn't he? Or, well, no, it wasn't really forgettable, but he hadn't thought about how he would be getting up close and personal with all the handsome in the course of pretending they were lovers.

Also, tall, tall enough that his hasty try at a compromising position had him leaning a forearm right above Tim's head and positively looming over him, and that was. That was something.

He jolted out of his daze when he saw a black tuft of hair moving over the top of the stalls, right. Dick. Compromising position.

He hasty put his hands on Jason's sides, trying not to focus on the muscle definition he could feel under the fabric, and went to his toes to kiss Jason's lips.

Jason jolted, but got with the program fast, moving one hand to cup Tim's cheek and adjust the angle, while simultaneously pulling him in so their hips were flush.

Tim moaned, earning himself a questing tongue nudging past his lips, and moved a hand to grasp at a broad, muscular shoulder. His other hand roamed about, feeling all the ways in which Jason was most definitely still keeping up to shape on top of all his duties, and he wanted desperately to be touching bare skin. And why wouldn't he? 

At the same time as he opened his lips to invite Jason in, he tugged at his tunic, untucking it and slipping a hand underneath.

Jason shuddered a bit under his hand, slipping his own hand under Tim's ass and lifting him up, then pressing up against him. Tim was a bit blown away at how easily Jason managed to lift him despite the fact that he too had plenty of weapon training and was mainly made out of solid muscles.

Unfortunately, or fortunately, they didn't get carried away any further because Dick interrupted them with a shrill scream of. "JASON? You're... With Jason?"

Well, compromising situation, managed.

Jason let go of Tim a bit abruptly, but not enough that he couldn't catch himself, and Tim cleared his throat, brushing his admittedly messy hair out of his face and smiled lopsidedly at his brother. "Hum. Surprise?"

Tim was internally dancing with glee at how flawlessly his plan was going. Dick was such a huge gossip, everyone in the castle was sure to know within hours. 

Well, a bit later. Dick seemed like he was a bit broken at the moment.

"Please let me tell Father about it?" He mumbled to complete the illusion.

Dick nodded, but otherwise stayed stuck in place.

Tim grabbed Jason and pulled him out of the stables, stifling his giggles as long as they were within earshot of his brother. Jason put a hand on his back, looking a bit bemused as Tim wheezed with laughter. "His face! Did you see his face. This is priceless!" Tim guffawed for a minute before he could take a deep breath, then looked up into Jason's faintly smiling face and smiled big and wide. "Let's go tell Bruce all about our torrid love-story!"

Jason shook his head, but still looked very amused. "I really should have said no, shouldn't I?"

Tim chuckled. "Probably, but it is too late now, lover mine!" Still grinning at his giant prank, he took Jason's hand and jogged toward the castle. "Our love cannot be stopped anymore!"

Jason grunted, but followed him without a hitch as they headed toward Bruce's study. An idea came to Tim and he pushed Jason in an alcove then pressed himself close to him to whisper in his ear without risks of getting overheard. "We have been in love for one year, but you always insisted that I had to come of age before we could consummate it."

Jason blinked, then nodded. "Of course, you're already four years younger than me and a prince, I wouldn't want to get hung for touching you before your twentieth birthday."

Tim sighed exaggeratedly. "Yes, a shame for lost time, but you just can't help being such a gentleman... Thankfully we can catch up for that time now that we've come out publicly about our relationship."

Jason finally snorted. "Are you really not going to tell the king the truth?"

"Where's the fun in that?"

 

Bruce took the tale with a sigh and a head-shake. "The two of you should have told me, I would have laid the groundwork for your public revelation. How do you intend to go about it?"

Tim cleared his throat. "Well... Dick just caught us... Hum... In the stables... The whole castle should know before tomorrow, and then it will seep in town soon after. I can just show up with my lover next to me for the spring festival opening and we can make a formal announcement at the great ball?"

Bruce nodded. "I guess it will do well enough." Then, as they started getting up and heading for the door. "Tim, Jason? I have to tell you that I do approve of your relationship. It will be good for morale to have one of my sons seen publicly with one of the people's heroes, I might even manage to have the churches of the green light of Will accept to marry you if you wish to, but I will need some time. As I said, had you told me earlier..."

Tim swallowed, throat suddenly dry. Well, that wasn't quite what he had expected. "Thank you. We can wait, it's okay."

Jason wrapped an arm around Tim and bowed to Bruce. "I thank you for your esteem, my King. But Tim and I... We aren't ready to discuss Marriage just yet, maybe, maybe next year."

Bruce closed his eyes with a faint smile. "Yes, do enjoy your young love without constraints, but remember my offer. Now get out with your lovely aura, I have work to do, and you two have to find a place where you won't be walked in on."

Tim blushed and walked out.

 

They silently headed for Tim's chambers and sat on his bed. "Well. I wasn't expecting that."

"Me neither." Jason sighed. "It's always a shock when King Bruce takes it upon himself to compliment me that way."

Tim looked up at Jason's face and huffed. "You are worthy of every compliment, and he is right, our people love you, me being seen with you is not only acceptable, it will make the royal family even more loved than Dick and Bruce already make it, and I should have guessed Bruce would see it that way."

By this point, Jason the Red Knight was blushing furiously. "Can you stop it. It isn't for real."

Tim set his face and rolled on all four on his bed. "It could be. This kiss was incredible. I wouldn't mind a repeat. I wouldn't mind you sleeping here either."

Jason stared at him, then he set his shoulders and stood up. "You have just decided to pretend to be with me to ward off pesky nobles, and this castle is full of nosy maids... And princes. I have also not told my people that I intended to stay over. If you still feel that way by the time you can free an evening to spend at my estate, then I will have no problems with having you in my bed, but if we are to do this, it will be neither now nor here. It will not be rushed, I won't allow it."

Tim swallowed, taking the declaration in. "I accept your terms. I hope I can manage to free myself tomorrow, then, lover mine."


	8. Day 6: Bed sharing

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So it was like that, stowed away in their over-trained memories. A string of coordinates, GPS and civilian, access maps known by heart, pass-codes and traps, and whose it nominally was. Like a neat excel chart.
> 
> Because they were kind of assholes, but tried not to cause inter-heroic frictions, and also because they could be a bit snobbish about other people's setups, they did tend to head to the closest Bat-bunker whenever it was possible.
> 
> Add to that that a few of them hated to keep the rest of the Family abreast of their whereabouts, and really, it explained why Red Hood and Red Robin both found themselves stumbling into the same room within hours of one another.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Whoa! Am I late, or what?
> 
> Anyway, here is Day 6, which should have been on saturday 24... Hey, It's written, it's what counts, isn't it? I still have Day 7: Soulmates//Space AU to write... I'll see what I come up with.
> 
>  **Trigger Warning:** Non-Graphic Mention of Child's death. Proceed with caution.

When you were a hero, safe-houses was something you learned by heart. Heroes not Bats made a point to learn all of their groups' affiliated ones in the geographic sector they were in, and brush up on the new place's each time they had to take a mission out of their comfort zone.

When you were a Bat, you learned all of them, by heart. You just knew them all, JLA, JSA, Teen Titans, Titans, Outsiders, then add all of the Bat-bunkers, and then any one you managed to squirrel away from the Family, Nightwing, Black Bat, Red Robin, Red Hood, Batgirl, Oracle, Robin... As well as some other heroes' personal setups. All over the world. And all their access overrides. Sometimes they were polite, asked for permission, or at least informed the people you were hijacking from that you'd been in, sometimes, especially amongst themselves, not even that.

So it was like that, stowed away in their over-trained memories. A string of coordinates, GPS and civilian, access maps known by heart, pass-codes and traps, and whose it nominally was. Like a neat excel chart.

Because they were kind of assholes, but tried not to cause inter-heroic frictions, and also because they could be a bit snobbish about other people's setups, they did tend to head to the closest Bat-bunker whenever it was possible.

Add to that that a few of them hated to keep the rest of the Family abreast of their whereabouts, and really, it explained why Red Hood and Red Robin both found themselves stumbling into the same room within hours of one another.

Because really, Florida wasn't the place where there were the fewest Bat-places, but it wasn't teeming with them either.

And of course the both of them would have chosen to drop by right after the hurricane and run from place to place, performing all manners of public services in the most critical moment.

Rounding up the most vulnerable people and carting them to solid ground to get evacuated by airlifts with the lest possible strain on helicopters' pilots. Pulling people from wreckage. Stopping looters. Delivering life rafts, water, rations, chemical heat-packs and these new synthetic almost blood tablet substitutes for hospitals...

But also of course, there was only so long any of them could run all around before they were running on fumes and needed to sleep six hours before they could dive headlong in it again. About forty hours, actually. They had all been known to go for more, seventy hours of near constant effort wasn't that uncommon, but that was in Gotham, when they could touch down in any base around every ten hours, doze for forty minutes and run back out again.

Without the smattering of safe places to take a bit of a power nap, they had to actually pull out, find a bed, and sleep for real. And for that, they tended to require the assured security that came with knowing that this bunker had been set up by the Bat himself and was near nuclear proof. Otherwise, no way they could sleep.

There were three such bunkers in Florida, and only one of them in the thickest of the disaster zone. So really, it made sense that Jason stumbled in a couple of hours after Tim crawled in the bed.

 

Even though Tim could tell himself all that, it didn't stop him from tensing in preparation for a battle should Jason decide he took offense to Red Robin sleeping where he intended to.

Apparently Red Hood still had enough wits about him not to take Tim's presence as a personal slight against him, since he didn't attack, instead swaying lightly in place and narrowing his eyes. "Pretender. I didn't know you were here, didn't see you or hear you on the coms out there."

Tim could have taken that as a personal slight against him, but really, he'd come to accept that everyone in the Family seemed to think he was never competent at anything he tried. "Ah work'd a feu milthouth." He mumbled, then blinked, yawned, and tried again. "I worked a few miles south from here. Didn't use the coms, no one to coordinate with. Used satellite phone to hail the relief effort."

Jason nodded, and closed the door at his back, then started removing his helmet and gear. Tim watched dazedly as gun harnesses and jacket, then almost civilian clothes and bulky body armor came off. So Jason had chosen to trust him and disarm himself in his presence. Tim never knew with him. He didn't even know if he should be happy that Jason recognized him as trustworthy or offended that he dismissed him as not a threat.

But really, Tim was too tired to chose, so he laid his head back down and yawned, still keeping an eye on his new roommate because not doing so would be pretty stupid considering their past history.

Thankfully, Jason seemed not to feel murdery, and to be honest, he hadn't been for over a year, so Tim probably was in the safe zone. At least in a purely physical plane, because Jason had decided that he also needed to remove his under-armoring clothing layer as well, and Tim had not been mentally prepared to be in a room with an almost naked Jason Todd and all the visible muscle that it entailed.

There was no bi panic or anything, though, Tim had been aware that he could find male form enticing since before Kon changed his superboy uniform (but while Kon could have been enough to make teenage Tim's head turn on the physical plan, he had been incredibly obnoxious and very in-your-face straight, so the idea of even asking him anything had died a swift and quiet death before it even managed to get fully formulated).

There was a bit of regular panic though, when Jason finished unclothing to his satisfaction and walked up to Tim, or to the bad Tim was in. There was only one bed in the bunker. It was an unconventional size because they had sized it to fit Bruce on his back with just a bit of space to spare, so it was longer but a bit narrower than a standard twin bed. And Jason was a similar size to Bruce.

Tim narrowed his eyes and hissed. "I am not sleeping on the floor for you."

Jason raised a brow and shook his head. "I wasn't going to ask you to, but seeing as we're both there, I'm taking half of the bed."

Tim tried to narrow his eyes more for dramatic effect, but ended up sighing and scooting closer to the wall. "You don't get half of my covers, though. Go get your own."

Jason laughed, and went to get himself some covers from the closet. With half of the reason for nightly frictions removed, Tim made himself comfortable again and closed his weary eyes. Only humming at the slight dip of the mattress and movement in front of him. The movements stopped, then there was another shift, and he could feel just how close Jason was to him before he spoke. "What the hell, Timmy? Did you go to sleep in your uniform?"

Tim slit an eye open and pouted. "Why does it matter to you?"

Jason groaned. "It's pinching my skin by sympathy. Get out of it before you get armor imprints!"

Tim knew, just by hearing some gossip that Jason became more grumpy and single-minded when tired, so chances were that he would not be sleeping for as long as his clothing situation personally offended the Red Hood. So he made a huge effort of will, rolled over, and slid his covers off his back, then slid a hand over the back of his head to keep his hair from jamming in the zipper.

Jason got the message and unzipped the suit, then since Tim apparently wasn't going fast enough for his tastes, helped the armored fabric off by sliding his hands up over Tim's bare shoulders, easing the uniform halfway down his biceps before Tim could even react.

Tim tried his best to not jump, yelp, or do anything to betray the tingle of his skin beneath Jason's hand, Just tugging at the end of his sleeves to get his arms out, then slipping out of the pants, not knowing if he wanted or dreaded to have Jason help him slide them off with a hand on his skin too.

Thankfully, he was much too tired to get an erection, so he slid his uniform down his legs, and kicked it out of the bed without a hint of how he'd been affected by the brief touch or the view, wrapped back into his covers, and laid back down.

He did feel a lot better out of his uniform, but he wasn't going to say it out loud, instead he turned his back to Jason, and arranged his covers so he was laying on one end of it, making them unstealable, and closed his eyes again.

Jason apparently wasn't affected, as Tim felt him loosely curl himself around his back. Even with the covers between them, it made Tim's mind swirl with more or less sexual thoughts, but even those weren't enough to keep him awake for very long, and he fell back asleep with a sigh.

 

Tim woke up slowly. He was warm and comfortable, and the he felt a bit restrained, but in a good way, like when he slept under the weighted blanket he'd caved in and bought for his Gotham apartment’s bed. He sighed happily at how well-rested he felt, then froze when a deep hum answered.

What.

He took stock of the situation.

He had come to Florida to help hurricane relief effort. When he had felt like he was starting to make a lot of mistakes out of exhaustion, he had headed for the closest Bunker, which, as far as Tim knew, didn't have weighted blankets (it might be an oversight, maybe Tim would bring up stocking them too, they could prove useful for more than his anxiety and insomnia), then he had been woken up again when Jason came in.

Well, the weight that was anchoring him down did feel a bit like someone had climbed half on top of him, now that he remembered that he had company. And also, Tim was pretty sure he had had a fairly racy dream, but even without that, he did have the traditional morning wood.

Fortunately, the individual covers meant that he couldn't tell if Jason had one too, without it, he was sure it would be pressed somewhere on his person. Which, okay, maybe it wasn't that fortunate, but at least they shouldn't have to deal with any awkward.

Or so he thought.

Jason apparently didn't share his opinion because he jumped back like Tim was on fire and fell from the bed about ten seconds later, when his brain apparently caught up with the fact that he'd draped himself almost all the way over him.

Tim just couldn't help the mean little snicker that bubbled up at Jason's exclamation of surprise and pain.

"Oh, I see how it is!" Jason grunted. And Tim turned around to be able to snicker in his face because it really wouldn't convey the full force of his mockery with his back turned.

Jason huffed and puffed, but even with his limited familiarity, Tim could tell he was pretty amused too.

The interlude at least gave Tim some time to calm down so by the time he threw his cover off, his boner had gone away.

A look at his watch told him that he'd slept for ten hours, a lot more than he had set out to do, but he had been working from a bit of a sleep debt before he came over to help, and Jason had shown up two hours in and apparently Tim trusted him enough that his presence had soothed him into oversleeping. Jason for his part had slept like eight hours, which was probably less than he should, but still a respectable amount.

They slipped back into their gear, and ate a meal that could maybe be called breakfast since they took it after sleeping, but not according to the hour. They discussed what they were going to be doing for the next however many hours, and ran back out into the fray as they were used to. Back into the thick of things, flinging themselves at the wall of human suffering like they had been taught to.

Now that Tim knew that he wasn't alone in the geographic sector, he did chatter and banter over the coms, which made all the hard and tedious work of keeping the death count of the hurricane the lowest he could a bit lighter.

(Nothing could ever make excavating the body of a child out of their home's ruins painless, but having Jason in his ear at least helped him push the grief into a corner and push through to go help people who were still alive.)

 

About thirty five hours after, five days after the hurricane hit the coastal line, they found themselves meeting back in the bunker. Tim shouldn't have been surprised to get pulled into a hug right as the door closed on them and the security was engaged. Jason might have a pretty distant attitude, but he still was a full person, with a heart of gold and deep compassion, and maybe he needed some comfort too after seeing his own share of pain on his side.

Tim allowed himself to let go and start crying, and Jason pulled him across the room to sit on the bed and rubbed his back silently, then, when Tim's sobs morphed into silent crying, he pulled him closer and squeezed his arms around Tim tight enough that it felt like it had a shot at keeping Tim's soul from floating out of his body. Tim did his best to return it.

He didn't know how long they stayed like that, just hugging, taking comfort in each-others presence. They did detach eventually, and started getting out of their gear.

There was a washing machine in the bunker that could handle their uniforms, it ran on a non-drinkable water tank and the bunker's own generator, so they ran a cycle for them. Jason tried to do some actual cooking from the non-perishables stocked in the pseudo-kitchen area, and grumbled about the quality of his result, but they both ate it eagerly like it was the most delicious thing they would ever eat.

"So. What are you doing next? Going back out?" Jason asked, snatching Tim's bowl and doing the dishes despite the exhaustion he was probably feeling too.

Tim sighed. "I think we're about to stop being needed. Civilian and military disaster response are starting to hit their stride. I'll probably do more good helping the Wayne Foundation gather the funds to send in material goods."

Jason hummed and stretched. "Not going to fly over to Puerto Rico to help them?"

"What Puerto Rico really needs are a few five hundred gallons tanks of drinkable water, medicine, blankets and maybe a few dozen of these cruise ships with decent passenger cabins so the citizens have somewhere to sleep until the reconstruction can start, not Red Robin. It is time for Timothy Wayne to get back home and help Bruce spearhead the civilian solidarity part of disaster relief."

Jason nodded and put the dishes to air-dry, then came closer to the bed again. "It can wait until you have rested a bit, though, can't it?"

Tim yawned and scooted over on the bed. "Probably not, but I'll be more help if I don't crash my plane on the way home. What are you going to do?"

Jason shrugged. "I mean, you have a point about drinkable water, blankets and shelter... I'll see if I can get a cargo plane or a spaceship and hit the poorest Atlantic islands. International help will probably get around to them at some point, but in the meantime they are in pretty deep shit."

All true. "Good plan. Anyone owe you favors of that kind?"

"Not quite, but there are a few heroes I can think of that don't need favors called in to lend their vehicles, or even pilot them here themselves."

Tim nodded. There were plenty of those to go around. Even without counting the heroes who would lend their pilot abilities and one of their mentor's hijacked aircraft.

 

This time, when they set down in the bunker's only bed, Tim didn't insist on the separate covers.

If anyone asked, it was because they had taken the time to slip some sweatpants and shirts on.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh, by the way, I'm considering prolongating this to 14 chapters and making a sequel chapter for every one of those? Leave a comment if you'd like that. And, like, which days you want a follow-up on the most?


	9. Day 7: Soulmates // Space AU

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Humans found their soulmates by looking at the stars.
> 
> God. How many times had Tim been teased over that?
> 
> It may have been a bit different if he had chosen a work that didn't make him one of the first human contact for other species, he probably wouldn't have had to put up with that, but he did dearly loved his job.
> 
> So what if every time he looked out a ship's window into the great void someone would end up asking him how his soulmate was?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So! I am just EXTREMELY late!  
> And no, the update is not a prank!
> 
> As you may have noticed, there are now 14 chapters to the work. My promise for sequels was met with a lot of enthusiasm, so I'm going for it. It might take a while, but I think I can do it.

Humans found their soulmates by looking at the stars.

God. How many times had Tim been teased over that?

It may have been a bit different if he had chosen a work that didn't make him one of the first human contact for other species, he probably wouldn't have had to put up with that, but he did dearly loved his job.

So what if every time he looked out a ship's window into the great void someone would end up asking him how his soulmate was? What if he had to repeat, over and over.

"Oh, that only works when we're on a planet, without an atmosphere to diffract the starlight, nothing happens."

How many times had he found himself in front of an eager and curious alien who wanted to know as much as possible about that human quirk, and Tim gently let them down.

"No, I was spaceship grown, I never saw my soulmate’s sign in the stars."  
"Well, I would have to find a planet with the right number of suns, a transparent atmosphere, and manage to stay there at night without light pollution or stuff in the way."  
"I just don't think it's worth the hassle to go seek out the exact needed conditions when most of the time, the hints given by the stars are said to be very vague anyway."  
"Now that humans are so spread out in the galaxy, even with all the access to star-help I could get, my chances to find them are very slim."  
"Even back when all humans were on earth and had access to transport to seek out their soulmates, finding our match was pretty rare, and being absolutely sure that the person we were with was our mate was even rarer."  
"Yes, it happens all the time in old human vids, but that was made for entertainment."  
"No. It was proved that the soulmate matches do exist. But the stars are still the only way we know to find them. No the stars are also the only way to confirm it's the right person too."  
"Well, most people stop looking at some point, they end up settling for second best until they find their true soulmate."

 _"And that,"_ he didn't tell them, _"is the reason why I don't want to see what my star-help would be. Some stars can't tell me who to love, and I prefer not to compare all my loved ones to some ideal match that I could end up never meeting in my life."_

"I just know that it's possible to be perfectly happy and in love without it having to be dictated by the stars' choice of who I should be with." He said instead, when he felt like whoever was asking those questions wouldn't try and say the traditional 'but that seems like such a waste' answer.

Some old prophecy with the most obscure hints ever would not be the guideline he would stake all of his life on.

Tim didn't dream of his soulmate, they most probably were very far away from him. Plus, studying the stories about soulmates had given him a doubt about that one true love destined by the stars. He didn't really doubt the fact that a couple whose star-hint matched could work better than one who didn't, but love was a choice. A relationship was hard work and determination not to let it fail. In the end, he wasn't that sure if being soulmates strengthened or weakened a relationship, but it certainly had the potential to do both.

Also, the fact that you were the only one to see your star-hint meant that checking if it matched relied on trust that the other wasn't lying about what they saw anyway. And, once more, there were so many way in which star-hints could be considered to be matching (a bird and a nast; a bird and a branch, two birds...) that it was entirely possible that the star-hint were nothing more than another way to test your affinity. It was, as far as Tim could tell, very possible that everyone had more than one soulmate.

More than possible, it was more logical that everyone could be soulmate with a multitude of people, but stopped looking after finding their first one.

Aside from all considerations about soulmates, Tim wasn't quite ready to settle down. He had a job that he loved and that made him travel around the inhabited galaxies, where he felt that he was helping, serving the greater good of all the assorted intelligent species by aiding them establish friendly ties and settle conflicts to avoid as many wars as possible.

What would he do with a soulmate, really? Lug them around? Give up his job for their happiness? Sure, he might be able to find someone who would love to stand at Tim's side wherever he went. Someone with the same curiosity, the same itch to explore as much of the universe as they could. But then came the issue of promiscuity and codependency. Spaceships were not that big, could anyone build a healthy relationship when cooped up together all the time?

Love and soulmates was something that Tim had shelved in the 'later' category a long time ago, and as far as he was concerned, it wasn't later yet. Later could still wait a few years. Maybe even a decade.

 

And as he hopped into the copilot seat to help Kory with the evasive flying, they were the very last thing in his mind.

"Hostiles on our seventy starboard side, underside 10°, don't pull too much!"

Kory gritted her teeth and fed power to the engines accordingly. "Copy. Any answer to our distress signal?"

"Not ye- wait." Tim extended his arm and flipped the switch under the blinking communication light. "Titan diplomatic ship, do you copy?"

"We copy Titan, here is the Bat freedom Fleet, what is the nature of your distress?" A voice that matched an human adult male one snapped back.

"We are under pirate attack. Fleet of ten Herthing fighters, plus a Gorkons 600 model mother ship, requesting assistance from any available armed forces."

"Already on our way to you, ETA five minutes. Six Goth 005 single pilot fighters and a Batwing admiral ship on your way"

Tim didn't even take the time to get mind boggled at the fact that they were getting such a modern armada in help, he had other things to do. "I copy. Leaving our location beacon on for you, we will try to evade in your direction." Wit a few flicks of his fingers, Tim sent a memo containing the position and models of their help to Kory, Cass and Kon so they wouldn't risk mistaking them for more enemies. One of his screens lit up for his attention and he opened his channel to their laser turret. "Kon, behind you!"

Tim watched on his screen as a beautiful soundless explosion bloomed, then he noticed that he still hadn't cut the communication with their incoming help. "Oh, right. Update, nine pirate Herthing fighters."

"Good. ETA four minutes, hold on, Titan. Yellow Bat out." The link chimed as it turned off.

Tim went back to his job of copilot and communication director. He called in the position of each enemy as needed, looked out for his team's blind spots, kept Gar and Vic abreast of the damages on the ship, and kept an eye out to see if anyone else would answer their call for help.

Four minutes could be simultaneously a very long and very short time, especially in a life or death battle situation. But finally, the fleet of six tiny star fighters and one admiral ship showed up on their scans. It surely wasn't time for them to relax yet, but the announce of their presence definitely sent relief coursing through the whole crew.

Tim sent the demand for a vocal battle chat over. It was picked up incredibly fast, and the level of protective encryption was nothing to sneeze at.

"Oracle to Titan, accepting the link." A new, female voice said.

Tim hastily linked his, Kory, Kon and Cassie's com-links in. "Titan to Oracle, adding two laser turrets, pilot and copilot to the battle chat. Call signs, please?"

The fighters' Battle call signs were the colors they were painted with. Obvious but efficient. Yellow seemed to be the one who had first answered the Titan's call, Blue and Red sounded male, Black and Purple sounded female, Green was a wierd in-between, Oracle admiral ship had one pilot, one strategist and one turret, who all sounded human female too. Not that gender or sex mattered much, but the ability to differentiate the voices did.

Kory called out 'Starfire', Tim 'Robin', Kon 'Super' and Cassie 'Wonder'. They could maybe have chosen more serious battle call signs, but they were a diplomatic ship, they took battle training seriously, but not their battle call signs, as they hadn't really expected to share them. It had been something of a joke. A funny one, even if Red's snicker was any indication.

The Bat fleet sounded like they were perfectly trained fighters, very in synch, very little unnecessary chatter, and flawless teamwork. The stuff legends were made out of. Which, did wake something in Tim's memory, but it wasn't time to dwell on that, he had work to do, monitoring the battlefield and calling out warnings for anyone in his field of vision.

Having Oracle1 sharing his job made it at once easier and more annoying, since they didn't know one another, and tended to call the same stuff almost at the same time. Tim resolved to shut up when Blue complained about the echo effect. He cut his outgoing voice link to the battle chat and refocused on calling directives only for his ship. The Bat fleet was used to work as a team, relying on Oracle. The Titan was used to rely on Tim, it was better to keep those distinct.

Sooner than Tim expected, they had destroyed four more pirate fighters and the whole group turned tail, leaving the Titan and Bat fleet behind to cut their losses before they got wiped out.

"Black, Blue, Green, Purple, pursue and see if you can stick a tracker on them, Red, Oracle and I will stay with Titan." Yellow called.

Four acknowledgments rang out and then the four fighters were taking off in hot pursuit. Flying in the sort of perfect formation that implied very long and thorough training.

"Titan." Yellow called again. "We can escort you back to any port of your choosing, but I recommend accompanying us back to Gotham, where I can ensure your safety on land.

It was coming back to Tim now. The Bat freedom Fleet, mostly made out of humans, beholden to Gotham more in name than in facts since it was almost completely funded by the famous, eccentric and incredibly rich Bruce Wayne. Or Admiral Bruce Wayne, as Gotham had titled him despite the fact that he pretty much didn't answer to their military's orders and did as he pleased.

They were indeed the stuff of legends. The fact that their whole fleet were pretty much all part of the Wayne family, by blood, adoption or marriage helped with the epic imagery too.

Tim nodded to Kory to let her know he approved of the plan, and she answered. "Then we will take advantage of your hospitality, Bats of Gotham. The Titan and the inter-star League is thankful for your offer of sanctuary."

Before long, the Titan was in Oracle's tow, and breaching Gotham's atmosphere, protected from any possible air friction damage by the admiral ship's solid light shields. Titan was a very good ship, but the Bat fleet was cutting edge, with the most fancy equipment. So much so that even the two tiny fighters could do a planetary landing on their own without needing to shield themselves behind their admiral ship.

Tim was only slightly jealous.

Tim had used the tow over to fish the Bat freedom Fleet's accreditation and present them to Captain Kory so she could make her decision on how much they could trust their saviors after landing. It seemed that she agreed with Tim's estimation of 'a lot'. She hailed their central command to let them know of their change in plan, and Kal-El seemed to have no problem with Kory's decision to authorize a two days vacation on land for the whole crew as long as their ship stayed in Bruce Wayne's colossal protection all the while.

When the crew walked out on the spaceship strip, they were greeted by who Tim recognized as Bruce Wayne himself, and probably Yellow Bat too, if the yellow bat smack in the middle of his black bodysuit's chest was any indication. The other fighter pilot had a red one. These people were really committed to their theme.

Kory walked forth, and shook Bruce Wayne's hand, and they proceeded to introduce the people here and talk about the reparation needed and accommodations offered. As a good ship strategist, Tim listened to every bit of it. That is, until Red Bat, that Tim now knew was Jason Todd-Wayne, slipped next to him with a smirk.

"So, you're Robin, right? Damn if your looks don't match your sweet voice." Red told him while getting exactly close enough to be on the edge of Tim's personal space.

Oh, flirting. Nice. It had been a while. "Well, you are almost as handsome as your piloting skills yourself, Red Bat." Tim couldn't help stopping his once-over on the still pretty hilarious crest over Jason's pectorals.

Red snorted, then leaned forth to conspiratorially whisper more than loud enough to be heard by Bruce, "Please don't blame me for this. It's my dad's idea of family bonding, I am innocent."

Bruce Wayne cleared his throat loudly.

Jason apparently didn't think it warranted stopping the flirting. "Now, if I know Babs at all, she would love to steal you for Oracle, you were as good as her calling out blind spots. And I have to admit I wouldn't mind you giving me directions anytime you'd like." If the words weren't telling enough, the eyebrow waggle that accompanied them was.

Tim was pretty sure he'd never heard a more blatant come-on. Bruce coughed some more. Tim's crew-mates started snickering. The all female crew of the Oracle was laughing and catcalling from behind Yellow Bat.

"But I guess there are a lot of people here to discuss what exactly I'd like to hear you say, what about we talk about it in my suite?" Jason continued, seemingly unaffected by his father's stern look.

Tim cleared his throat and glanced at Kory. She looked between Tim and Red, then at Bruce Wayne's frown, at the Oracle crews' grins and thumbs ups, the back at Tim and gave him a wink from the part of her face that wasn't visible by Jason's father.

Tim looked back at Red, who was grinning shamelessly and whispered his "okay". Red didn't waste any time to pull him out of the landing strip and into the palace-like building near it.

Within minutes, Tim found himself pressed up against a window in what he guessed were Jason's private quarters.

"Wait, wait." Tim gasped against Jason's lips. To his credit, Jason let him go immediately. Tim took a deep breath to clear his head. "This window, does it open on the landing strip?"

Jason nodded.

"Are we visible from outside? Is it just a show to annoy your father? How much of this is just you wanting to piss him off?" Tim asked. It was not like he had all that much against being used in this way, but firstly, he had duty to his ship that included not angering the person providing them with safe haven, and secondly, if it was the case, he wanted to know beforehand and make an informed decision about it.

Jason blinked and looked past Tim at the window. "Well, shit. Sorry, bad maneuver on my part, I should have thought of how it would look from your perspective. Yes, the window is see through at the moment, and... " He winced. "Yes, my dad saw us, but I swear that's not why I did this! I really think that you have a brilliant tactical mind and you're beautiful and that I want to sleep with you, individually. The fact that I also get to shove my belated teenage rebellion in my dad's face was just a bonus to the whole..." Jason gestured from Tim's head, down to his feet. "You."

There was probably something wrong with Tim's romantic history for this declaration to be one of the sweetest he had heard yet. But on the other hand, it was a first meeting hookup, so Jason was doing pretty great for himself.

There was something else he needed to get out of the way before they went any further. "I don't know my star-hint. Never saw it and don't intend to, so if you propositioned me because you thought I might be your soulmate, I will have to disappoint you. I don't care about soulmates, and I am not going to leave what I love for you."

Jason's bashful expression dissolved at Tim's words. "Oh, yeah, thanks for that too, I forgot about it. Well, last time I saw my star-hint was more than a decade ago, Gotham doesn't have the proper atmospheric conditions for it, I don't believe in fated relationships anymore, it's a relief to hear you don't either. You wouldn't believe how many people will claim to be one of us Waynes' soulmates for their own benefit."

Tim winced. He didn't have a precise idea, but he was ready to believe that the kind of wealth they had to their name would attract a lot of 'soulmate' hopefuls. "Yeah, no. I'm probably not your soulmate." Tim's stuttering was interrupted by a roar from outside the window and he turned in time to see the squadron of four Goth 005 fighters land in their designated spots.

The pilots got out, and the ground crew started buzzing around the craft to stow them in their hangar. Tim narrowed his eyes at the far-away pilots. "Oh my computer." He breathed out. "Do they all also have a colored bats?"

Jason chortled at his back. "Oh, yes, they do. Except Cass, because technically, Black isn't a color." Tim turned to shoot him a look and Jason kept on. "But she does have a golden outline of her Black Bat on her boobs. What we all wouldn't do to fit in with our eccentric and charismatic Bat-leader..."

Tim was about to turn around, but them he saw the pilots gather around Bruce, and no, it wasn't an optical illusion from the distance. "Is it me, or is Green Bat tiny?"

Jason slowly eased himself over Tim's back until he was stuck to him. "Yes, the Bat-Brat is tiny. And yes, my Baby-Bat-Brother really shouldn't be piloting a fighter ship in outer-space. But he's stubborn and stupid and a genius, and if we hadn't given him his craft and a place in our formation, he would probably have stolen a ship without any adult supervision once more and gotten himself blown to bits while trying to prove to our dad that being the blood son makes him a better fighter pilot than the rest of us. As it is, he's always stuck with Blue, Yellow or Oracle, and they have an override to put his ship in autopilot and send it back to the closest safe dock."

Strangely, it didn't surprise Tim at all, it fit with what he had heard from Green in the battle chat. The change of subject had helped him clear his head and come to a decision. Tim leaned back against the solid muscle behind his back. "Okay. Opacify these windows, then I'll have sex with you."

Jason squeezed his waist a bit, and commanded the windows to blur up, then tugged Tim further in his quarters while starting to remove his flight suit. "My bed is great, I'm sure you'll love it." Tim caught in his excited babble. "Unless you want to clean up after the fight? In which case I would like to point out that I have a personal warm jacuzzi with a very good water-cleaning system and I always suspected that having sex in would be awesome."

Tim smiled and simply asked Jason if he also had waterproof sex protection to go with the jacuzzi.

 

A few hours later, Tim, feeling extremely satisfied and dressed in some of Jason's morphoconforming clothes, joined the common meal. His crew aimed shit-eating smiles at him. Jason's (Bat-)family was mostly jeering and catcalling, with the notable exception of Bruce, who still looked constipated over Jason's sexcapade.

"So, is he your soulmate?" Bart asked.

Tim glared at him and stole his steak. It was Bart's favorite, but it was a fitting punishment for asking this kind of question despite how often Tim had explained that he didn't give credit to the whole soulmates thing.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, I'm going to go over the sequel in the exact same order as the original. I think It'll make it easier to read.
> 
> Next up will be the Bodyguard one.  
> I love public's participation, so do you want:  
> -a 5+1 prequel-y thing about how everyone knew Jay and Tim were together (and one who didn't)?  
> -Babs revoking the no fraternization rule so she can guilt-trip Bruce for cock-blocking the boys?  
> -Tim and Jay actually managing to get it on?


End file.
